Mr and Mrs Gold, Season 2
by ShakespeareanHoneyBadgers
Summary: With the curse broken Belle and her true love Rumplestiltskin are free to continue on their mission to find his long lost son. But like everything in their lives, the path to Baelfire isn't a straight one, and they will need each other more than ever to overcome the numerous obstacles that they will encounter. But no one ever said true love was easy. Remix of "Mr. and Mrs. Gold".
1. Broken

Disclaimer: As you can probably tell from the fact I'm writing fanfiction, I don't own Once Upon a Time or any of its characters.

**A/N:** So I thought I was done after "The Golds"…but Season 2 continued to stink for our beloved Rumbelle. This happened. Because I did not plan for this there'll be some continuity errors between this and "Mr. and Mrs. Gold"; I consider this a remix more than a true sequel and isn't technically Golden-verse. The big differences are that Belle never became pregnant, and that Bae is Neal. Because I do not want poor Mrs. Gold pregnant with all of the crap that's about to ensue. I hope y'all enjoy.

She had never liked this ritual, sneaking out after curfew to sit in the near dark, listening to the worst the world had to offer. She had no doubt these stories were true; after all imagination couldn't fathom such nightmares.

She sat in the corner, knees drawn up to her chest and her nightgown's fashion proclaiming just how far she was from her homeland. Most of her peers' were more substantial; hers was wispy, a poor choice for the mountainous region that Winter's Pass Finishing Academy for Young Ladies dwelled in. Perhaps she should have paid more attention to the name of the school she was going to.

After a particularly bone-chilling tale about a man who spun gold and traded for infants, a fresh girl took the stage, which was just a cleared space in front of the audience.

"You'd think that the Dark One would be the most terrifying monster in the land," she began, a senior given the honor of a tale that had only been told a couple of times due to its recentness. The girl in the corner remembered a time when the Dark One was the grand finale, and she was only sixteen, "…but you'd be wrong."

The first years looked puzzled. The others straightened, wondering if new information would be added onto last year's telling.

The speaker clearly enjoyed their confusion and anticipation, pacing eagerly.

"What's more terrifying than an all-powerful being? …the one who controls it." She stopped, taking a deep breath, "She goes by a lot of different names; the Harlot of Hell…the Devil's Bride…the Gold Spinner's Wife… They say she was the most desperate of souls, that she'd do anything for power. So she agreed to be with him…forever. Over time her soul corroded away until she was just as evil as he is. She is…the Caretaker."

There was an awed intake of air. Until a less-than-impressed older girl drawled, "What makes her any different than any other married woman and her husband?"

This elicited a few snickers and the speaker was momentarily stumped. She then smirked.

"Think about it… How dark must her soul be for Rumplestiltskin to respect her? How evil her intent if he'd rather listen to her than have her listen to him?"

They considered the question…and suddenly the Caretaker seemed a lot more frightening.

"She's strolled into the midst of battle without a hint of fear… She's slaughtered legions with just a scimitar and a rapier… She's torn infants from their sobbing mother's arms, taking them home to boil for her and her husband's dinner."

The girl in the corner curled tighter into herself. She hated dark magic… It had haunted her for her entire life, cursed as a newborn and made to dread her eighteenth birthday. She wished that the story would just end so that they could go back to their dormitories and she could try to sleep.

"She makes deals just like him…except she will not change it once it's been struck. She is merciless on both ends of the bargain…so be careful what you deal for."

The girl thought she was done, but apparently the speaker had one more fact to dish out.

"You don't even need her name to summon her…just her title and that you summon thee."

There was an impressed murmur that spread through the crowd and then someone called out, "I dare you to summon her."

The group glanced eagerly back at the speaker. The speaker's bravado faltered.

"…you can't just call on darkness for no reason," she warned.

"You're just chicken!" The darer insisted, standing up and giving her best impersonation of the fowl, "Baaaawkbawkbawkbawk!" The girls giggled and the speaker's cheeks flushed.

"Caretaker I summon thee!" She exclaimed without another thought.

Every candle went out without a gust. The window panes rattled in their frames. The door that led to the patio was being knocked at deafeningly, but there was no one in sight. Books started flying off the shelves and chairs clattered to the ground. The crowd screamed and stampeded towards the doors, desperate to vacate the library before they were caught by the force rushing through the library. The girl in the corner sat frozen, whimpering softly like a trapped animal. Her brain kept shouting that she had move but she was paralyzed. Eventually the commotion died down and she heard a playful snicker.

A woman strolled out onto the stage and the girl gasped. She was…beautiful, with long dark curls, pale skin and delicate lips. Bright blue eyes were lit up with mirth as they flicked around the vacated library, her dress light blue with real diamonds sewn in intricate designs. She looked as lovely as a fairy…but a fairy wouldn't giggle at frightened teenagers. But she didn't look necessarily malevolent, either; just mischievous.

She continued to smugly observe the remains of her chaos, even as someone appeared behind her. He leered sinisterly.

"You!" He chirped, grabbing her around her waist, "Aren't being very nice to the chitlins, my dear."

If she was beautiful, then he was definitely ugly, scaly skin glittering in the moonlight. Wild hair fell around his reptilian face, his smile full of rotten teeth. His nails were more like claws and he was dressed in leathers and hard scales. The woman jumped, then spun around to look at the grinning crocodile.

"Rumple!" She exclaimed and the beast trilled, delighted even as she smacked his chest with her arm.

"If only they knew you have all the intimidation of a newborn kitten," he mused.

She narrowed her eyes, "I can be _very_ intimidating," she insisted.

He continued to smirk, "Of course, dear."

She was watching the Dark One and his Caretaker in her school's library, and neither seemed to be aware they weren't alone. She pressed her back harder against the wall, trying to make herself as small as possible as she trembled like a leaf, praying to every god she could think of that they wouldn't see her.

The Caretaker took a few steps, sighing, "I just figured if people are going to fear me, I might as well have fun with it," she turned to him, "Did you hear the things they were _saying_?"

"I know. It was only one baby and you were very, very hungry." She rolled her eyes and he grinned. He dismissed the joke with a shrug, "Regina's rumors have certainly made their rounds, haven't they?"

"It's only been a couple of years and already the general public's forgotten the real reason I went with you," she complained.

"Can't wait to see what they'll say about you in a century," he teased.

He went quiet and the Caretaker shook her head, "Oh no you don't. No self-loathing guilt trip over this. I knew exactly what I was getting into when I agreed to marry you and help with your deals, and I still don't regret it," she folded her arms, "A few exaggerated stories aren't going to break me."

The Dark One mulled over this for a moment, then sighed, "Perhaps after the grand scheme they'll see your true colors."

"_Our_ true colors," she protested.

He glanced around the library, "Isn't this a bit small for seven years worth of your reading habits?"

The Caretaker grinned, "I had read every book at least twice by the time I graduated… I like the library you gave me a lot better."

"That's because it _is_ better," he crossed the distance between them, tilting his head, "Will you show me your old school?" He queried gently.

The Caretaker smiled and nodded, "Some of it, at least… The gardens first."

He draped an arm around her waist and together they started in the direction of the veranda. The girl knew it couldn't be possible, not with the two darkest beings in existence…but she could have sworn that they looked like they were truly in love.

**III**

Mrs. Belle Gold sighed contently as she rested in her true love's arms, skin-to-skin under the blankets. Last night had been one of the longest she had endured in awhile, young Henry Mills in the hospital due to his adopted mother's poisoned apple that had been meant for his birth mother. While her husband helped and slightly hindered the mothers, she packed their things for the trip ahead, neither of them sleeping a wink. As dawn broke, so did Storybrooke's curse due to Emma's kiss of true love, and they had used true love's potion to bring magic to the town. Finding Baelfire without magic could take decades and though she was concerned about what returned power might mean longer term, she knew it was their best hope.

She dozed off and on, reveling in the glow of their shared joy and excitement. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen Rumple so happy, Mr. Gold not having a care in the world for these few short hours. Once they hit the road she was sure he'd fret about how his estranged son would react… But they were in the right world. Storybrooke's town line curse was sure to lift along with the cursed memories. Bae would be alive, as Belle had secretly checked, and they knew his age range. They had a map of gate points from a certified realm-jumper and a compass. They would find him and her troubled husband could finally rest easy.

They had agreed that a morning off was in order. A nice long nap, a quick brunch, and then they'd check out the town line to be sure it was safe to leave. Everything was warm and calm and safe in their little cocoon, and every once in awhile she'd stroke his back with her fingertips or he'd plant a lazy kiss on her head. It was hard to determine whether they should count the twenty-eight cursed years or not, but even counting them they weren't newlyweds…but sometimes it still felt like they were in their honeymoon stage.

Belle was roused from listening to Mr. Gold's heartbeat by a knock. Blearily she raised her head and Mr. Gold pressed it back down.

"We're not home," he rumbled. Belle nuzzled into his shoulder in agreement, closing her eyes and sighing.

The knock came again, more insistent, and then a doorbell, and then a pounding replacing knocking. Mr. Gold hugged his wife tighter to him in response. Belle blinked as she heard the front door open.

"I thought you locked it," she mumbled.

"I did," he muttered.

There were voices, all familiar but not close enough to be distinct. There were footsteps coming up the staircase followed by a demanding mewl from Figaro the cat, obviously perplexed by strangers in the house at this early hour. A female voice was trying to soothe him but Figgy, bless his kitten soul, seemed to be playing guard cat for their shenanigans.

Then, a voice bellowed from down the hall.

"Rumplestiltskin!"

They both cringed and Mr. Gold took up the defense, slowly pulling the covers over their heads. They hid underneath the blankets, staying as still as possible, praying the intruders would assume they weren't home and leave.

There was a banging at their bedroom door.

"Gold! Belle!" The voice thundered.

"Maybe they're not here, Charming. They could be at the shop."

"Maybe, but I'm not leaving here until I know for sure."

The door was opened with more force than necessary and Belle wasn't sure how much of an outline they made. Perhaps their shapes could be confused with an unmade bed or extra pillows?

"Very funny you two," Charming drawled, grabbing a corner of the blankets, "Time to wake up and face what you di-"

Without warning, Belle and Mr. Gold were exposed, much more literally than David imagined. Belle, Mary Margaret, and David screamed in unison while Mr. Gold's protective instincts kicked in. To preserve his wife's virtue, he rolled on top of her to cover her naked body with his own. However it came with a price; his backside was now exposed to the royal couple.

"Why the hell did you do that?!" Mr. Gold roared, Belle scrambling to grab the sheets and cover them.

"How was I supposed to know you two were indecent?!"

"You broke into our house!"

"You didn't answer the door!"

"That doesn't give you the right to pick the lock and tear the blankets off of us!"

"We have _never_ come into your bedroom unannounced!" Belle joined in on the outrage, "Other rooms, yes, but we checked mirrors to make sure you weren't up to anything first!"

Mary Margaret rubbed at her eyes, whimpering softly, "I will never be able to unsee this…"

Downstairs, Henry stared at his mother in fear. What had happened, why was everyone screaming, shouldn't they help?! But Emma Swan was composed, simply sighing at her "parents"' naivety. She glanced at her son.

"And that, Henry, is why you never go into a couples' bedroom without their express permission."

Mary Margaret and David descended the staircase, coming into the parlor red-faced and eyes averted.

"They're going to get dressed and meet us down here," Mary Margaret informed them, sitting down on the couch next to Emma. Henry sat in a nearby recliner, confused but still excited because the curse was broken and now everyone could be happy again…except maybe Regina.

A short time later Belle appeared and Emma recognized the style of the freshly-screwed. Hair a mess, a few buttons undone on what Emma was pretty sure was Mr. Gold's shirt, beltless slacks and bare feet. Emma had to hand it to her though; even surprised she took charge of the situation immediately.

"Rumple will be down in a few minutes; he doesn't like be to underdressed…" Belle trailed off as she realized the double entendre. She closed her eyes for a second, then started again, "I'm going to put on some coffee; it's been a long night. Would you like a cup?"

"Yes please," David piped up.

Belle shot him a "after what you just did I don't think so you two aren't getting crap" glare before taking a deep breath.

"Actually I was talking to Emma… Who stayed up all night… Slaying a dragon and breaking curses. Congratulations, by the way," she smiled at the bounty hunter turned sheriff turned savior, "I'm sure this is a huge adjustment for you."

"No kidding," Emma muttered then, a bit more artfully, "I'd like a cup…please. Black."

Belle nodded, then beamed at the boy next to her, "Oh Henry, I'm so proud of you," she gushed, reaching out to squeeze his shoulder, "Such a brave little prince."

Henry smiled up at her, "I knew it'd work," he said confidently, "It had to be done…for Operation Cobra."

Belle nodded, "For Operation Cobra," she agreed, setting her hand on his back briefly before moving towards the kitchen, "A family of heroes," she commented cheerfully before disappearing.

Emma wasn't sure how she felt about that. Maybe she should've asked Rose for a shot of something stronger in her coffee, something to help her deal with…whatever she'd come into. Wait, not Rose… Belle. "Beauty and the Beast"'s Belle.

"Wait, I thought Belle was supposed to be hooked up with the Beast," she said.

"She is," Henry insisted.

Emma frowned, "But Mr. Gold's Rumplestiltskin…"

"Yup."

"She's married to _Rumplestiltskin_."

"Yeah."

"Then what about the Beast? Did they break up?"

"No, Mr. Gold's the Beast."

"What?"

"I think Rumplestiltskin's also the Beast…right Henry?" Mary Margaret clarified.

Henry nodded, "Belle says he's a lot of characters in the book," His eyebrows knit together, "Apparently he was the one to get Cinderella to the ball…because he killed her fairy godmother."

No wonder Regina didn't want him reading that book…

"Since when does a fairy tale princess sit down with you to discuss the behind-the scenes of the book she's in?"

"Since she joined Operation Cobra," Henry informed her matter-of-factly, "She's almost as involved as August… Pinocchio."

Mary Margaret glanced at her grandson, opening her mouth to ask him something, but she was cut off by a squeal in the kitchen.

"Rumple!"

"How is it you have morning breath when I know for a fact neither of us has slept all night?"

"Love you too… Hands off, we have company in the next room."

"Then I'll just have to muffle your screams."

"Rum, concentrate. Care about other people for a few more hours. We'll have plenty of opportunities once we're on the road."

"I want you now."

"You're going to want a medic if you don't knock it off now."

Mr. Gold sighed, and they listened as he retreated towards the living room. Unlike his wife, Mr. Gold was as impeccably dressed as ever, including his suit jacket, tie, and even shoes. He watched the three of them on the couch disdainfully before sinking into the chair across the room.

"You better have a _very_ good reason for bothering us in our own home, while we were still in bed," he warned, "We've been up all night and my darling had just gotten to sleep when you so rudely barged in."

Emma had a retort on the tip of her tongue but Mary Margaret set a hand on her lap, giving her a warning glance. Emma fumed but remained silent. Just because she didn't know how to deal with Rumplestiltskin it didn't mean she hadn't stood toe-to-toe with Mr. Gold. Besides, roommate or not, Mary Margaret hadn't earned the right to pull the mom card on her.

David leaned forward, a vision of bravado Emma had never witnessed in him before, "How-"

"Wait, dearie," Mr. Gold cut him off, before nodding towards the kitchen, "We're still missing one."

They sat in an uncomfortable silence, listening to Belle humming and moving around the kitchen. Eventually she popped back in, handing Emma her coffee and giving Henry a blueberry muffin along with a hot chocolate topped with whipped cream and cinnamon.

"Thanks…Belle," Henry said as though testing out the name.

She smiled, "Your welcome, Henry," she huffed, "Thank the gods I don't have to respond to Rose anymore. That would be like you responding to Chip- What are you doing that's my chair!"

Mr. Gold stared innocently back at Belle, "I was here first."

"Doesn't matter, get out."

"No."

"That's my reading chair, and you know that."

"I don't see a book in your hand."

"Rumplestiltskin I am going to go get our coffee and you better be out of that chair by the time I get back or I will unleash vengeance the likes of which you have never seen."

"Dearie, I _have_ seen your definition of vengeance and it's not particularly terror-inducing."

"Shut up I'm scary." She disappeared back into the kitchen. Mr. Gold made no effort to move.

Mary Margaret and David exchanged a glance. It was definitely…different, seeing the two of them in their natural habitat. Relaxed. Bickering like it was their way of saying "I love you". It was cute, but they couldn't let themselves forget who they were dealing with.

Emma was just nervous her mug would burst into song.

Belle came back and eyed Mr. Gold. She sighed wearily, "Scoot over." He obeyed and she squirmed into the seat, handing him one of the mugs, "Now, I'm sure you four have plenty of questions," she began, "One at a time, please."

The adults exchanged glances, lobbying what should be asked first. Mary Margaret spoke up, "How long have you two remembered?"

"Since Emma came to town," Mr. Gold admitted. Emma's eyes widened. "A loophole I made for us in the curse. When she spoke her name, my memories came back to me…"

"…and then he came home and restored mine with true love's kiss," Belle concluded.

"Why did you bring magic here?" David blurted out.

Mr. and Mrs. Gold exchanged a glance.

"That's personal," Mr. Gold insisted.

"Personal?" David growled, "Everyone in this entire town will be affected because of what _you_ did; that's not personal."

"Yes, but the reasons behind the decision are," Belle explained, "We didn't make it lightly, not with the risks involved. Just please respect our privacy on the matter."

David was about to pursue the argument further, but Emma cut him off.

"Why did you risk Henry's life?"

Belle seemed to shrink at the question, "It wasn't really a risk," she said meekly, "We knew that you'd break the sleeping curse with true love's kiss."

"Belle wasn't involved," Mr. Gold insisted, "She was here. It was my decision and, obviously, it didn't turn out too poorly."

"It could have."

"But it didn't."

"Where are you going?"

The Golds and Charmings glanced at Henry as he asked. Henry elaborated, "I mean, you two were talking about going on the road. Are you leaving Storybrooke?"

The Charmings stared at Belle and Mr. Gold, who glanced at each other.

"Yes, we have a trip planned," Mr. Gold admitted, setting a hand on Belle's leg and rubbing it, "…I promised that I'd show her the world once we were able."

"You can't just leave, though," Mary Margaret protested.

Belle arched an eyebrow, "Wouldn't that make it easier on you, having us gone?"

"Yes…no… You two are different," Mary Margaret said, then struggled with an explanation, "You're…consensual villains. I mean if someone wants to deal with you they can, but for the most part you two mind your own business. It's easier than villains who won't stop antagonizing you no matter what you do, like Regina…"

"…or George," David muttered.

Mr. Gold eyed his wife, who seemed to be focusing on her coffee. Emma leaned forward.

"You two risked Henry's life and brought magic back. The way I see it the least you can do is make sure Regina doesn't go all power-happy and kill us, or steal Henry away."

The terror in Henry's face was painful and even Mr. Gold had to avert his gaze from the poor young boy.

"We don't owe you anything," he muttered.

"No," David admitted, "But I would think after everything you've done you'd at least have the decency to make sure this town doesn't burn to the ground."

Belle was silent. Mr. Gold bristled, straightening in his seat.

"You've overstayed your welcome," he growled.

"Didn't really feel welcome to begin with," Emma retorted, setting down her half-finished mug on the coffee table. She rose and her parents were quick to follow.

Only Henry hesitated, trying to catch Belle's eye. Belle refused to look at him and he gave up, setting his finished mug beside Emma's. "Thanks for breakfast."

The front door closed and all was quiet in the Gold household again. Figaro padded into the living room and hopped up on the windowsill, getting a last look at the intruders while making sure they had left. Mr. Gold glanced at Belle.

"…they got to you, didn't they?" He guessed.

"Well this whole thing kind of _is_ our fault," she muttered, leaning back, "I mean they have no clue about the reason…or all of the orchestration behind it…or that you've intended this to go down since before Regina was even conceived… But we are still kind of guilty that a curse tearing families and lovers apart as well as stole their identities and took them from everything they've known and loved was unleashed by a woman who, though made her own life choices, was strongly influenced by your gentle prodding."

"And the curse is broken now, isn't it?" He pointed out, "We fixed our mess in the end."

Belle didn't look entirely convinced.

Mr. Gold sighed and wrapped an arm around Belle, knowing what he had to do and loathing himself for his weakness. They weren't supposed to _care_ about all these bloody people; they certainly hadn't cared about Rumplestiltskin or his wife at all. And now they could leave it all behind and start a fresh life somewhere else; he'd even give up magic once they found Bae. They could be the happy family that Belle and he had always dreamed of.

Unfortunately Belle's guilty conscious was…expansive. He sighed, squeezing her lightly.

"…twenty-four hours." She glanced up at him questioningly. "Twenty-four hours and I swear if you aren't in the car by then I am leaving without you."

A smile slowly spread across her face as she realized what he was really saying. She planted a kiss on his cheek, "Thank you, Rumple! Twenty-four hours, no more, promise!"

Mr. Gold rolled his eyes before nudging her leg with his cane, "Off with you, then. Go save the whole town while I sit here… Waiting. Surrounded by luggage. Anticipating the moment we may begin the rest of our lives. The moment I have been waiting for since-"

"Oh hush, another day won't kill you," she scolded, leaving a peck on his lips before she got up.

"It will, and it will be your fault," he muttered.

She shook her head, "I'll be home for dinner."

"I'll be dead by then," he informed her. She walked out of the living room. "You're killing me…very painfully."

The only reply he received was the door opening and shutting. It had been worth a try. He sighed and slumped down in the seat, wondering what on earth he was going to do with twenty-four extra hours to whittle away. He might very well go insane.

The cat glanced at him, black and white head tilted questioningly. Mr. Gold sighed, "…maybe Henry wants a cat…"

The Charmings, meanwhile, had more pressing issues…such as the mob at Regina's door and the doctor at her throat.

"Stay back, Henry," Emma warned before she charged into the midst of the crowd. David and Mary Margaret were right behind her. "Leave her alone!" She bellowed once she was close enough.

"Why should I listen to you?" Whale snarled, his eyes still locked on Regina.

Emma clenched her jaw, "Because I am still Sheriff," she growled.

"And because she saved you. All of you!" David addressed the bloodthirsty crowd.

"And because no matter what Regina did, it does not justify ___this_," Mary Margaret insisted.

"We are not murderers here," Emma finished firmly.

Dr. Whale sneered, "Well, we're not from this world," he pointed out, as if Emma hadn't figured that out by now between the dragon and the potion and everything.

"Yeah, well, you're in it now."

This didn't seem to calm the rage of the crowd, who had been trapped in an unfamiliar town for years, the majority of them living pitiable lives… On one hand Emma couldn't blame them. On the other…Regina was still Henry's adoptive mother, and killing wasn't going to solve anything.

Emma wasn't too great with a crowd, and it was three against several dozen. Odds didn't seem to be in their favor.

"Enough!" A voice cut through the mob's hysteria.

Everything became deathly silent. The only one who moved was Dr. Whale, snorting his derision.

"And what are you going to do, Rose? ___Stop_ me?" He jeered as he spotted the young woman.

"If it comes to that, ___Victor_, yes."

Dr. Whale went from cocky to speechless in a matter of seconds. Regina smirked.

The mob parted and Emma saw Belle at the gate, glaring daggers towards the pair. She was still wearing the same outfit but had cleaned up, looking just as put together as usual. She strolled up the walkway with a cool demeanor that had the townsfolk shrinking back, staring at the authority that radiated off of their former Rose.

She wasn't Rose any longer. She wasn't even Belle right now. She was someone else, someone who could imitate Mr. Gold's power and who didn't let simple things like "morality" or "ethics" get in her way. Mary Margaret and Regina were the only two who didn't so much as take a step back as Belle ascended the front porch steps.

Dr. Whale stared at her, "How…?" He trailed off, realization settling over him, "…Rumplestiltskin…"

"Yes, he's mentioned you a few times," Belle said dismissively, making a shooing gesture, "Leave her be; we'll handle her."

"After-"

"_Leave_."

Dr. Whale jerked back at the hiss, at the expression on the usually sweet woman's face. He complied, slipping away while the rest of the mob stuck around in nervous anticipation.

Regina chuckled, stepping towards Belle menacingly, "How cute…mere hours after magic returns to Storybrooke and you already think you can reign as you once did." She stood toe to toe with the other woman, sneering down at her, "Allow me to be the one to warn you, ___Caretaker_…magic is different here."

Belle smirked, "I know."

Without a single movement on Belle's part, Regina was flung backwards, slamming into the siding of her house. Regina's eyes widened as she tried to move, but found herself pinned by an invisible force.

"Fortunately I'm a fast learner," she tilted her head to one side, "But apparently you're not."

She stepped closer to the former queen, who was as trapped as a fly in a spider's web. Regina tried, but she couldn't quite hide the fear in her face at Belle's proximity and her own helplessness.

"What would you have me do with her, Your Majesty?" She asked calmly.

Mary Margaret thought at first Belle was mocking Regina, but then her head cocked towards Mary Margaret. Belle was calling _her_ "your majesty".

"N-nothing," she stuttered out, "We'll take it from here, thanks."

Belle nodded, "As you wish. I've got other calls to make, anyway," She let the former queen slip back down onto her feet, "Careful, Regina… So many enemies and so little power is a dangerous combination."

She turned away from the unnerved woman, pausing to briefly touch Mary Margaret's shoulder and give her a shy smile. She then started down the porch steps and walkway, and the crowd gave her an even wider berth as she continued past. They waited until she was gone, and then quickly dispersed.

"The hell was that?" Emma murmured as David detained Regina.

"That," Mary Margaret said with a slight tremor to her voice, "Was the Caretaker."

Sidney Glass stared blankly ahead at the stone wall of his cell. The broken curse didn't help him any; he was still in the hidden mental asylum of the hospital, despite there being nothing wrong with him. It was just the Storybrooke version of the Queen's prisoner's tower.

It was an adjustment, reconciling his genie and reporter egos, but he found that they had one thing in common; being completely enamored with Regina and willing to do whatever it took to please her. At least he had a body again…and a name.

He turned his head as he heard footsteps coming down the hall, not sounding like any of the nurses… Hope and fear rose in his chest in equal measure and he glanced at the door. Had Regina come for him, to free him now that the curse was broken, thank him for taking the fall with the plot against Kathryn?

Who was he kidding… She had left him here to rot, caring no more about him than any of her other minions.

The lock jiggled and the bolt finally slid back, the door opening. He braced himself, but it was a brunette that poked her head inside, bright eyes glancing around. They met his and Sidney beamed.

"Belle!" He exclaimed, the true name coming easy to his lips.

She grinned and stepped inside, "Hey Sidney…Magic Mirror?"

"Sidney'll do," he assured her, swinging his legs off of his cot, "Yanno, since I'm not trapped inside of anyone's vanity."

She giggled and they embraced. He pulled away first, glancing questioningly at her, "What are you doing down here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" She asked, squeezing one of his shoulders, "I'm freeing you…like you helped free me all those years ago."

After so many centuries fulfilling selfish wishes, Sidney had lost a lot of faith in the goodness of people. And yet, Belle returning the favor helped recover some of that long lost hope.

Mary Margaret felt as though her emotions fit her birth name; a thick flurry blowing in the wind, so many of them it was hard to concentrate on one or even two. The daughter she had held for a few moments before saying goodbye was now an adult. Her husband had been "married" to his ex-fiancé and had cheated on her with his real wife. She had been teaching her own grandson…and her old friend had stopped her from being charged with a murder that hadn't occurred.

After locking Regina in a jail cell and a futile interrogation, David and she had visited Kathryn. The poor princess had been apologizing non-stop for what had happened, but Mary Margaret continued to insist that they had been cursed (though she still didn't like the idea of her Charming sleeping with another, cursed or not). Luckily David had a memory of the gym teacher Solomon Knight and they had been able to bring the two lovers together again. They left on good terms and with the understanding that marriages formed by a dark curse didn't count so there'd be no paperwork to trudge through.

"You alright?" David asked softly as they walked towards city hall, where they agreed to meet Emma and Henry after they were finished and Emma was done with her "I-need-to-sort-this-out-leave-me-alone-for-a-coup le-hours-kay?-kay" time. Apparently Henry was meeting a friend there and he said he "might be able to squeeze them in for lunch" if the meeting didn't run too late.

Mary Margaret shook her head, "Yes…but that doesn't mean I'm not confused, and scared. I mean, we have a lot of kingdoms in one place… George won't take losing control well, and even Midas won't want to convert to democracy. With the mayor's spot wide open-"

"You heard Belle," David cut her off, "She called you Your Majesty. She's recognized you as the new queen, and no one's going to want to contradict the Caretaker."

Mary Margaret folded her arms tightly against her chest, "What about our family?" She murmured.

He put his arm around her, "What about it? We have one. We just…have a lot of adjusting to do."

The town hall was buzzing, the nuns trying to help settle down the crowds of frightened confused citizens. Flyers littered the bulletin board looking for lost friends or relatives. In the midst of the chaos, the citizens couldn't help but stare at an odd duo; a prince by both of his mothers but a native of the land without magic sat with his constant accessory, "Once Upon a Time", flipping through it. Sitting on top of the table he was at, notebook open in her lap and leg jiggling up and down excitedly, was the bride of the most feared monster in all the realms, a dealmaker in her own right.

"Hansel and Gretel?"

"Already reunited with their father."

"King Midas and Princess Abigail and Frederick?"

"I think your grandparents are checking in on that."

"The Mad Hatter and Grace?"

"I'll add them to the list…you should probably take that one, though."

Belle looked up from her notebook and Henry looked up from his fairy tales. They stared at each other for a second.

"August." They said in unison, before Henry scrambled off his chair and Belle jumped down from the table.

"Is he still at Granny's Bed and Breakfast?" Henry wondered.

"Think so. Where else would he be?" She jogged to catch up with him, "With any luck, either the curse breaking or the arrival of magic turned him into a real boy again… A real _man_," she corrected herself.

"Okay, so I'll go check his room and you go get Marco, Gepetto," Henry caught himself, "We'll meet where the old castle used to be. We need a new name, though, for post-curse Operation Cobra. I was thinking Operation-"

Henry flinched as someone grabbed him by his arm and he squirmed.

"Henry, what are you doing?!" He followed the arm up to see it was Ruby holding on to him, also known as not-so-little Red Riding Hood.

"You keep your tricky fingers off of him, sister."

Henry glanced back to see the dwarves had formed a ring around Belle. She glanced from one to the next, eyes wide and mouth slightly open.

"What are you doing? Leave her alone!" Henry shouted.

Ruby held on to him tighter, "I know she seems nice in this world, but she's evil."

Belle stared at Ruby, betrayal cutting into her like freshly smelt iron. She thought they had been friends… But Ruby's glare indicated that whatever friendship they had enjoyed had ended with the return of her memories as Red and with them the memory of the stories of the Caretaker.

"No, she's a hero, a good guy… She's in Operation Cobra!" He exclaimed.

"I would never hurt Henry," Belle said vehemently.

"Yeah but you'd screw anyone else over, wouldn't you?" Leroy narrowed his eyes.

Belle stared at him, "Leroy…"

"Don't "Leroy" me," he snarled, "If you were so great you wouldn't've waited until she was under a sleeping curse to help Snow out."

"It needed to happen," Belle insisted weakly.

"And what about Prince Thomas?" Ruby hissed, "Was locking him away necessary?"

"You brought back magic and endangered us all," Doc stated.

"You helped the Evil Queen with the curse!" Happy accused.

"You put Henry's life in danger," Leroy growled.

"You freed Sidney, Regina's spy!" Ruby's voice rose.

"She had a good reason!" Henry yelled, continuing to struggle against Ruby.

"She sleeps with the devil; _that's_ her reason."

"Doc!"

Mary Margaret and David came upon the scene, the crowds of city hall moving towards the confrontation for a better view. Belle looked more like a distressed rabbit frantic to flee than an evil power-hungry and bloodthirsty enchantress. She glanced at Mary Margaret, then away.

Ruby finally let go of Henry, lowering her voice as she approached her, "I know she's your old friend but you _can't_ ignore everything she's done. She's just as evil as Regina or Rumplestiltskin."

"How can you say that?" Mary Margaret balked, "You'd all be flat on your backs if it was Regina, _worse_ if it was Rumplestiltskin."

"She used you, sister," Leroy's rumble joined the intimate conversation, "Helped you get together with Charming so they'd have Emma to toy with."

"No," Mary Margaret murmured, "Belle was just taking advantage…even if there wasn't a prophecy she would've helped us come together."

David set a hand on his wife's shoulder, "We can't play favorites," he warned, "If you side with her no one will trust you…and if they don't trust you they won't follow you."

Mary Margaret glanced over at her friend…her confidant…a person she could always turn to for help. David was right; in order to keep her precarious position as leader she'd have to pull a Judas and publicly deny her childhood companion.

Belle's eyes burned with tears she wanted to shed, but she couldn't. The Caretaker wasn't supposed to cry; she was supposed to be strong, flexible as stone. She had enjoyed being Rose, who _wasn't _feared, who could be loved and who could make friends with just about anyone because they were only afraid of Mr. Gold, not her… She glanced around and all she saw was Ashley, Mother Superior, Ruby… All glaring at her. All convinced by the mask she had hidden behind in their world. Reminding her of the things she had done so that maybe she could have a family, that maybe she could finally see her husband's finish line and at last have him rest after so many years… But it was clear they wouldn't let her redeem herself for her transgressions. They would never love her.

She pushed her way between Dopey and Bashful, fleeing the scene. She heard Henry shout after her but she ignored him, storming her way down Main Street. Magic always came with a price… The price of a broken curse seemed to be the townsfolks' scorn and not being able to play Operation Cobra anymore.

The cat seemed to have picked up on the fact he was going to be left behind. He hadn't gotten off Mr. Gold's suitcase since Belle had went to go play hero. Mr. Gold found this mildly irritating because there were some last minute additions he wanted to slip in, but the cat refused to move.

"You'd make a very handsome throw rug," Mr. Gold threatened him. He blinked and then rolled onto his back, as though exposing his stomach was an ideal tactic in light of the threat of being brutally skinned alive. Mr. Gold smirked, rewarding his cockiness with an ear scratch.

The front door opened and slammed shut, and Mr. Gold snapped back up. His defensive senses were tingling as were the cat's, if his questioning meow was any indication. Mr. Gold went out into the hallway to catch a blotched-face, watery-eyed, sniffling Belle trying to sneak back in. His grip tightened on his cane.

"Alright, who do I have to kill?" He growled.

Belle snorted, wiping at her eyes, "The entire town?"

"That can be arranged." Sad thing was Belle was pretty sure he was serious…

He wrapped an arm around her and gently led her into the living room, easing her down onto the couch before pulling her close. Now, safe at home, safe in her true love's arms, she let it out, sobbing into his shirt. He rubbed her back, rocking her gently as his lips rested against her hair.

"I, I thought if I, if I helped with the fall-out that, that somehow I could make up for, for what I've done."

"Dearie, you haven't done anything; I created the curse and Regina enacted it."

"And I've helped you prepare for it and bring magic back!" She snapped, "I'm a villain by accessory!"

"Belle I've known plenty of villains, myself included," he stroked her curls, "And you are nothing like us."

Her sobs slowly eased, until she was nearly coherent again.

"…I allowed an entire world to be damned for my husband's happiness…and because I want to meet my stepson…"

Mr. Gold contemplated her words, "…better reasons than wanting to torture your stepdaughter for being a deceived eight-year-old." She let out a strangled laugh and he smiled. His arms tightened around her, "…I'm sorry you had to become the Caretaker just to get people to stop treating you like a damsel in distress," he muttered.

She shook her head, "Doesn't matter… The only reason they need to fear and hate me is because I dared to love who they consider a monster."

Mr. Gold sighed, setting his chin on top of her head.

"You know, you always say that you wish people saw the man you fell in love with… I wish people could see the woman I fell in love with. Granted, she's not exactly hiding…but they have a tendency to ignore her."

Belle closed her eyes, "Well like you said, it won't matter too much longer; we won't have to worry about them soon."

Mr. Gold nodded, leaning back against the couch. He knew Belle had made many sacrifices to be with him and even though he wished she didn't have to make them, he was so very grateful to her for them. He just hoped she knew that.

**III**

The old council had assembled, though this meeting was not held in the war room of Snow and Charming's palace as usual. Granny's diner had been closed for the occasion, tables pushed together to accommodate Leroy, Ruby, David, Granny, Mother Superior, Archie, Mary Margaret and the new addition, Emma. Emma seemed surprised by the members of the group, and Mary Margaret supposed through the eyes of someone of this world the combination of the tales Snow White, Pinocchio and Red Riding Hood might be…interesting.

"Haven't we given her enough chances already?" Leroy grumped, "If she hasn't taken us up by now she never will."

"But she has Henry to think about," Mary Margaret insisted.

"Doesn't change all the lives she's ruined," Granny muttered.

"Keeping her in that jail cell with magic returned is a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off," Archie warned.

"Well can't you just, like, anti-magic the bars or something?" Emma asked, glancing around the table for answers.

Mother Superior shook her head, "We don't have that kind of magic at our disposal right now… We have _some_ diamonds that we could grind into fairy dust, but hardly enough for that sort of spell."

"Well if we can't contain her…" David murmured, trailing off suggestively.

Leroy scoffed, "No one'd miss her."

"Except for, yanno, _Henry_," Emma muttered.

Were these really the options they had? Kill her or wait for her to get her magic back and escape? Mary Margaret didn't want to believe so but as the council meeting wore on, those were the only options that they were coming up with…and they were leaning towards the first one. Desperate for a solution, she dug into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone, firing out a quick text.

_Hey, can you meet me somewhere in an hour? I need to talk to you._

It wasn't long before her phone vibrated and she saw the answer; _Of course :) I'll give Rum the slip. Wishing well, one hour._

Mary Margaret only had time to send a "k" before David's hand gently wrapped around hers, squeezing it lightly.

"It's going to be okay," he reminded her.

She nodded and took a deep breath, trying to concentrate on the meeting that was going nowhere. He was right…he just didn't know that she was seeking help to make sure it would be.

Belle sat on the lip of the wishing well, staring down into the water. It looked perfectly ordinary now, without purple mist emanating from it. She carefully leaned forward, playing with her echo to pass the time.

"Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah," she chirped, the well not getting the pitch right. Belle tried again, "Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah."

Apparently acoustics in wells weren't as perfect as she had been led to believe.

She heard pine needles crunching and glanced over to see the new queen making her way over to her. Belle smiled, sliding off of the well.

"You know, not everyone can pull off short hair," she teased, "But you can."

Mary Margaret laughed softly, beaming at her, "Belle…"

They embraced, nearly pushing the air out of each other as they held on for what seemed like a lifetime. Eventually, Mary Margaret pulled away.

"I'm sorry, Belle, I should've said something back at the town hall, shouldn't have let them treat you like that-"

Belle rested her hands on Mary Margaret's shoulders, "It's alright… What was there to defend me from other than the truth?" Mary Margaret opened her mouth to object but Belle cut her off, "I'm a big girl, I can admit I've done wrong and I know there are consequences for every action."

"You had your reasons though…" Mary Margaret bit her lip, "…didn't you?"

She nodded eagerly, "Yes, I promise you that," she took a deep breath and let it out through her mouth, "But I'm guessing you didn't want to talk about unnecessary apologies."

"No," she shifted uneasily, "I came to ask your advice."

Belle arched an eyebrow, "Will you actually listen to it?" Mary Margaret playfully kicked towards her and Belle danced a few steps back to avoid it.

"…it's Regina," she confessed, "We've been discussing all morning what we're going to do about her… There's not enough fairy dust to contain her indefinitely and there's plenty of people crying for her blood…"

"But she's still your stepmother," Belle murmured sympathetically, "And Henry's mother… And there's no going back from death."

Mary Margaret nodded, "…I just don't know what to do."

Belle leaned back against the well, silent as she stared contemplatively at a tree.

"…you could send her somewhere else," she offered.

Mary Margaret's eyebrows knit together in confusion, "Where? Outside of Storybrooke? She'd only find her way back in."

"No… I was thinking our old land."

"But the curse destroyed it, didn't it?"

Belle sighed, pursing her lips, " "Destroyed" is relevant… The curse certainly tore apart buildings, toppled trees, usual chaotic devastation, but the world itself is still intact. It's questionable how inhabitable the majority of the land is," she glanced at Mary Margaret, "Oddly enough, though, there's an entire region unaffected by the curse. The Eastern shores must have found a way to protect themselves."

"How would we send Regina there?"

She smirked, "It's a lot easier to go to a world with magic than one without… And I think Madame Mayor still has a souvenir from her own realm-jumping."

Mary Margaret frowned, "…would she be alright?"

She nodded, "It would be an adjustment…but I think she'd be fine. Underneath the royal veil is the thick skin of a natural warrior."

**III**

Regina collapsed against the jail cell's door after hours of trying to merely unlock it, fighting back tears of despair. Her magic was gone and with it any chance of escape. She was back to being that helpless little girl floating in the air, at the will of magic instead of in control of it.

She squeezed her eyes tightly shut. It wasn't fair. All she wanted was to be happy and now they were taking that chance away from her, taking Henry away along with her freedom… As if it wasn't bad enough the curse was broken and stupid Snow White could be reunited with her Prince Charming the way she could never be with Daniel…

She heard footsteps but didn't bother seeing who it was.

"Come to tell me that I'll be living out the rest of my days in this cell?" She inquired, opening her eyes and glaring at the trio, "Or perhaps you're here to give me yet another second chance… That if I'm good you just _might_ let me see my son every once in awhile."

"Actually Regina, we have another option," Mary Margaret spoke calmly, David's hand on her shoulder.

She glanced at Emma, who looked less than thrilled with whatever they were planning.

Regina smirked, "Are you going to kill me? Put me down like a mange-ridden dog?"

"We're sending you back to the Enchanted Forest."

She snapped out of her cynical act, straightening and staring from one Charming to the next. If they were kidding, they were certainly keeping their poker faces on. She tried to meet Emma's eyes, but Emma refused to look at her.

"…how?" Regina asked incredulously.

"Belle has a way," David said cryptically.

Regina's nails dug into the bars, "And you'd listen to her? To _them_?" She glanced between the couple, "What price did they make you pay for it?"

"None," Mary Margaret stated, "She's doing it because she wants it done, not because we asked her."

"Of course she wants it done," Regina hissed, "…are you really going to let her talk you into this?"

"Are you saying you'd rather die than go?" Emma muttered.

The Evil Queen gritted her teeth together, "I will not be separated from Henry," she vowed.

Regina's exile, in true dramatic fashion, was scheduled for noon the next day. The small standing courtroom was packed shoulder to shoulder with bodies waiting to see justice. Six chairs were set up in front of the railing, Mary Margaret, David, and Henry occupying three of them. Mary Margaret stared at the expanse of tiled floor in front of them. No guillotine, no chopping block…but it did have the haunted feeling of the gallows. David took her hand and squeezed it lightly.

"It's going to be alright," he assured her again.

She nodded, closing her eyes for a moment.

Regina sat in what had once been her office, hands cuffed behind her back while her blonde watchdog paced, glancing at the clock every so often.

"I want to see my son."

"You'll see him when we get to the court room," Emma muttered for the tenth time since they got there.

"Don't you think it's a little cruel that he has to watch his own mother go through a portal knowing she might never return?" Regina snarled.

"Yeah, I think it's downright sadistic…but it's what he wanted."

Regina stared at Emma and Emma shrugged. Henry hadn't given her a reason, whether it was to watch her go, or to be able to say goodbye.

Belle rode in the car with the hat box on her lap, biting her lip until it chapped. Mr. Gold reached out a hand and set it on her knee.

"You can do this, dearie," he said softly.

"Technically? Yes, most of the difficulty is taken away because of the hat's magic. Emotionally…" She trailed off.

He pulled into the handicapped parking spot in front of the town hall, seeing as the rest of the pavement was crowded. He was starting to wonder if it really was an execution…

"It has to be done, since you insist upon making sure the town is relatively secure before we go," Mr. Gold said, only slightly begrudging, "It's not an easy choice, but it's the most humane one."

"Between life in prison and death, I suppose so," she sighed, playing with the lid, "Just because Henry's angry with her now it doesn't mean he won't be upset about it."

His hand migrated from her knee to her cheek, stroking it gently. Belle leaned into it, glancing at their suitcases in the back.

"Last stop before Baelfire," she whispered.

Mr. Gold smiled and kissed her, "Last stop before Bae."

Emma glanced down at her phone, then shut it, "Executioner's here," she said dryly and Regina scowled. She glanced up at the clock, "You still got a few minutes before you have to face them… Unless you wanna go early?"

Regina snorted, "Rush to my doom? No thank you. Knowing that little maid she'll accidentally send me to a world without oxygen instead."

Emma shifted her stance, "…I can't really pull out a meal in five minutes, and I don't think either of us is religious… Got any other last rites before you're shipped back home?"

Regina tried to pick the handcuff locks, but her magic was still absent. She was still powerless.

"I want to see my son," she repeated.

The crowd turned as the doors opened, a slight brunette appearing and trying not to look too startled at the turn out. She made her way down the narrow path towards the front of the room, her husband following her with the rhythmic thud, thud of his cane.

Belle gaped in horror as she saw Henry next to his grandparents. She set the hat box on the seat beside him and knelt in front of him, taking his hands.

"What are you doing here?! You don't want to see this!" She protested.

Henry stared at her with grim determination, "I want to say goodbye," he said firmly.

Belle shook her head, "Not like this…" She pleaded.

"Yes, like this," he bowed his head, "Even though she's done a lot of bad things…like tried to poison my real mom so that she can keep me all to herself…she still deserves to have someone there when she goes," he shrugged one shoulder, "And I'm pretty much all she has."

Belle reached up and smoothed his hair, glancing over at the Charmings. Mary Margaret's stoic mask was on, and David was trying to channel his strength into her via holding her hand. Mr. Gold sank into the chair farthest from them and Belle turned to him, disturbed by how still his face was. A pond without a ripple as opposed to the usual choppy waves.

He met her eyes. She raised her eyebrows. _Alright?_

He gave a slight nod. _Alright._

Belle straightened and gathered the hat, going over to her husband. They shared a brief kiss.

"Love you," she murmured.

"Love you too," he murmured back.

The doors opened at precisely noon, and high heels clicked determinedly towards the front of the room. Regina walked not like a prisoner with her hands bound and a sheriff behind her, but like a queen amongst peasants, chin high and gaze condescending. Belle left Mr. Gold's side to stand in the middle of the cleared space, playing with the hat box. She met Regina's eyes and felt as though she should drop dead from the glare alone. Belle quickly averted her gaze, opening the hat box.

"…I know you guys like your speeches, being book characters, and it's a public exile and all… But I really got nothin'," Emma confessed. Regina rolled her eyes.

Henry stared at his adoptive mother, but she did not turn. Actually all of their backs were to the audience; as if it were a private show they were intruding on. The only eyes that were on him were Mr. Gold's, studying him, and he fought the urge to squirm.

Emma squinted at the hat Belle pulled out, "Is that…Jefferson's?"

"Indeed," Regina muttered.

"Luckily there was a transaction record from the shop so I could track it down," Belle said, setting it on the ground bottom up.

Emma was having some wicked déjà vu going on.

Belle took a deep breath, hands resting on the brim. She then spun it, once, twice… Her hands drew back as the hat began to propel itself, spinning faster and faster. She rose to her feet and took a step back from the literal top hat. The purple aura of magic was starting to gather inside of it, twirling outwards as though threatening to take them all to the Enchanted Forest.

"Give it another minute or so," Belle instructed Emma, curls blowing back from the wind that the hat seemed to create, "But you might want to uncuff her first."

The air seemed to drain out of the room as the crowd collectively leaned forward, bloodthirsty as hounds but too anxious to speak. Mr. Gold watched Belle, trying not to focus on Henry. Mary Margaret had closed her eyes against her stepmother's fate and David frowned, wishing it would just be over already.

As Regina stared into the dark purple mists, her bravado faltered. Once she was through, she would never see Henry again. Her head whipped around to see him watching her, tears in his eyes. She couldn't give up on her son. She couldn't leave him. She couldn't live without him.

The cuffs fell from Regina's wrists and panic seized her. She couldn't go, she couldn't go, she _couldn't leave Henry_. Her head whipped to the side to see that harlot, that woman who had orchestrated this hell for her, knowing that it was worse than death or life in a jail cell to be without her son in another world.

She reached out, grabbed Belle by her shirt, and hurled her towards the hat's vortex.

It seemed to happen in slow motion; one minute Mr. Gold was preparing his mental goodbyes to his former apprentice and the next she was grabbing Belle. He stared helplessly as Belle tried to regain her balance after the shove, how she tottered for a few seconds on the precipice, and then fell into the void.

"BELLE!"

The name was a gunshot in the quiet room. Mary Margaret's eyes flew open and she stared as Emma reached out to snag Belle…and missed.

It was instinct, trying to keep Rose-Belle-Caretaker woman from falling into the gaping purple hole. She reached out, felt the fabric of Belle's shirt, and then saw herself about to faceplant into the unknown. Shitshitshitshitfuuuck.

The first goodbye had been agony, having to give her daughter up minutes after her birth so that they all may be saved. She had only known her daughter for a day in this world… The hat was going to take her away again, possibly forever. Before she could think, she lurched to her feet and ran.

"EMMA!"

David had scarcely recovered from Belle's trip, and now he was watching his wife and daughter disappear. He stumbled up, racing towards the rapidly fading purple swirls. He leapt, but when he landed he just had a hat between his hands.

In thirty seconds, the proceedings had gone from Regina's exile…to the loss of three innocents.

"Mom!" Henry screamed, racing towards David. Regina smiled and bent down, eager to embrace the son she had escaped a trip to another realm for.

Henry noticed her open arms and stared in revulsion at her. Tears welled in his eyes, but they weren't for her this time.

"You really are the Evil Queen aren't you?" He choked out.

Mr. Gold stared blankly as his mind tried to process what had happened. No…no that couldn't have happened… This had to be a nightmare, an especially cruel one. He was going to wake up and Belle would be in his arms, and they would prepare to leave Storybrooke to find Baelfire just after they took care of Regina.

_She's gone_, his mind insisted, _she's gone and she's never coming back_.

"Get her out of here, now!" Someone yelled. There was confusion, mass panic, a lot of people leaving.

_She's gone. Just like Bae. Only she didn't choose it._

Hands were on his, a voice trying to break through to him.

"Rumplestiltskin… Gold…"

_Regina did this. Regina took her from me. Belle didn't choose to leave, Regina shoved her through!_

As though a flip had been switched, Mr. Gold surged to his feet, his head whipping around the now empty room.

"It's her fault! It's her fault!" He roared.

Arms wrapped around him to restrain him. Mr. Gold thrashed around, trying to get the brute off of him so he could track down Regina.

"I'm going to kill her! I'll kill her!"

"Gold…"

Mr. Gold continued to thrash, weaker and weaker, as he stared at where the hat lay. A thin film covered his eyes and he tried to blink it away.

"She took Belle from me!" He snarled.

"And she took Snow from me, but we're going to get them back."

The brute was less restraining and more hugging him now, and Mr. Gold felt something wet on his shoulder. Not his tears, the man's.

"Belle…"

"Yes, Belle. What would she have you do? She wouldn't let you kill Regina, would she?"

And Mr. Gold no longer had the strength to stand on his own, his legs buckling underneath him. The man…the shepherd twin…caught him. Denied his right to vengeance, all he could do was sob at the sudden throbbing wound in his chest.

"It's going to be alright…we're going to get them back, I promise," he cooed to the beast.

For a long while, the two husbands grieved alone in the town hall, not ten feet from where they had lost their wives and his child.

**III**

"But, we're still here," Aurora insisted, glancing between Philip and his new companion, Mulan.

"This corner of the land was untouched," she said, "No one knows why."

"We couldn't resume our search for twenty-eight years, frozen in time," Philip said.

Twenty-eight years… It hardly made any difference in the state Aurora had been in. She took a deep breath and hugged her fiancé.

"All that matters is that you're here now…and that you found me," she said. Philip held her tight and she sighed, feeling safe for the first time since she pricked her finger on the spinning wheel.

Mulan frowned, glancing away from the two lovers with something hot and acidic burning through her stomach.

Aurora jumped as there was suddenly a great crash.

"What was that?!" She exclaimed.

Mulan drew her sword and pointed it towards the noise, "Who goes there?"

There was no answer. The trio exchanged glances; Philip drew his own sword and they cautiously moved towards where the noise had come from.

An awning had collapsed, which wouldn't be so unusual if it weren't for a pale hand sticking out of the debris. They hurried towards the mess and Mulan quickly pushed the debris away.

"…it's a woman," she informed them, leaning over to push more out of the way. Philip joined her eagerly. Aurora frowned and started daintily removing bits from another section, seeing a bit of odd fabric underneath.

"There's two of them," Philip murmured, "A blonde and a raven-haired, the latter's hair cut short like a man's."

"They wear strange clothing," Mulan remarked, tilting her head, "I've never seen those kinds of pants before."

Philip peered up, squinting against the sun, "Where did they come from?"

"We checked the perimeter before we entered," Mulan murmured, obviously just as perplexed, "Here, help me move them-"

Mulan was cut off as Aurora screamed, Philip at her side in an instant.

"What's wrong?" He asked. Aurora could only stare.

He glanced down to see a third woman, a brunette with long curls, a gash on her head but otherwise unharmed. Philip glanced questioningly at Aurora.

"I, I've seen her before… At my finishing school…" Her voice shook with fear, "She came one night… All Hallow's Eve… With the Dark One…"

Philip tilted her head, "Who is she?"

Aurora pointed at the long mark on Belle's left inner arm, "…she's the Devil's Bride…" She whimpered.

**IIIII**

I return yet again to this verse, because apparently I can't write anything else. I probably won't be able to keep up the "chapter a week" pace due to my increased hours at work (plus some of these chapters are going to be freaking LONG). All I ask is that you don't throw things at me because I am permitting myself angst in this story; it all turns out alright in the end, promise.

Sneak peek: Venturing down a very non-canon rabbit hole; if you've read "The Golds" you already have a good idea of what's to come, but much more elaborated upon. Katja continues to be a taboo subject due to her age. And warrior kindred spirits Belle and Mulan are reunited.


	2. We Are Both

Disclaimer: As you can probably tell from the fact I'm writing fanfiction, I don't own Once Upon a Time or any of its characters.

**A/N:** This chapter contains some allusion to the taboo subject of pedophilia (concerning Katja and the difference in her physical and mental ages). Nothing particularly offensive, but just so you're aware. Also don't think too hard about the Wonderland Golden-verse timeline in relation to canon, or your brain will explode. I've tried my best, but sometimes your brain just says "don't care about sense I want this".

It didn't really matter which way Alice Kingsley turned; the forest looked the same in every direction. There were signs but they all said such silly things like "this way" or "that way" or "here" or "there". It gave no names to any towns or paths or anything, and she feared she would never find her way home.

Movement flickered in the corner of her eye and the young girl started, only to see that it was a long dark tail swaying absently from a branch. It was joined by a leather clad leg and a boot that looked too big for its wearer. Alice could have sworn it hadn't been there a moment ago.

She followed the appendages up to see something almost as odd as a rabbit in a waist coat or mushrooms that made you grow or shrink. It was a cat and yet it wasn't; it was a very feline-esque girl only a couple of years older than Alice, sharp-featured and thin as rails. She lay out on the branch, watching Alice with a smug grin.

Alice approached the tree, clearing her throat, "Excuse me, Miss Puss…"

The grin widened and Alice was unnerved by the sight of four sharp canines, but it seemed only amused. She took a deep breath and continued.

"I was wondering perhaps if you could tell me the way?"

"Depends."

Alice startled at the cat speaking, even though she should have expected it, "Depends on what?"

"On where you're trying to go," The cat shrugged a shoulder lazily, "Keep walking and you're sure to find some way… Maybe not your way, or _the_ way, but a way nonetheless."

The cat continued to grin and Alice sighed, "You're just as mad as everyone else here…"

She burst out laughing, a rough but not unpleasant noise. She wiped at her eyes, "Silly girl… We're all mad."

Alice jumped as suddenly there was a hand on her elbow. The cat girl tilted her head questioningly as if unaware that she had gone from up in a tree to right next to Alice in the blink of an eye.

"You're not from here," she observed.

Alice sighed, "No, I'm not…obviously."

"Not so obvious," The other girl protested, "How did you get to Wonderland?"

"I fell through a rabbit hole," Alice informed her.

"Lucky…I've been trying to hunt down that rabbit for weeks," she pursed her lips, "…what's your name?"

"Alice, Alice Kingsley," she bobbed into a curtsy, but the cat didn't return the favor, "And who might you be?"

The cat smiled, "Whatever you want to call me. I'll answer to it," she promised.

Alice thought a moment, "You grin almost non-stop, like a Cheshire Cat. How do you like Ches?"

"Better than checkers," The cat girl said, then giggled.

She straightened and turned an ear towards down the road, still as though listening for something.

"I hear fine china," she announced.

Alice blinked and the Cheshire Cat was already down the path, looking back expectantly. Alice trotted after the funny girl, only to have her run a few more yards through some willows. She drew back the branches to a most curious sight.

A boy sat at a long table covered with saucers, cups, teapots, and jars covering every square inch, chairs of all shapes and sizes crowded around. He sat pouring himself some tea, dumping in so much honey it was practically a soup. He couldn't have been much older than Ches, with spiked brown hair and lovely pale eyes.

The Cheshire Cat, so bold was she, that she strolled right to the table and took a seat. The boy jerked back and stared at her.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

Ches shrugged, "Taking a seat. You looked lonely."

"And how do you know that you're welcome? Maybe I'm waiting on guests."

"Are you?"

"…well one, but he's a very strong "maybe"."

Alice took a few steps closer, much shyer than her counterpart, "You haven't even been invited," she chastised the cat.

The boy nodded vigorously, "No, no you haven't."

Ches rolled her eyes, "Well then, _may_ I have tea with you?" She asked sarcastically.

"Only if you answer one simple question," he pulled out a hat from its box and flipped it neatly onto his head, "…why is a raven like a writing desk?"

Alice took a seat across from the Cheshire Cat, forming a triangle between the three of them, "Let's see… Why is a raven-"

"I haven't the faintest idea," Ches said plainly, "Now pass the butter so I can get started on my tea."

The boy gave her a sly grin, and Alice smiled shyly at the boy. It was the first tea party Alice, Jefferson, and Ches ever had together.

**III**

There was a pounding in Belle's skull and she wondered briefly if she had fallen off the shop's ladder and cracked her head against a counter. Hopefully Rumple hadn't come in…though if he had she'd probably be waking up in the emergency room. It was certainly bright enough to be… She squinted as she opened her eyes. Outside… She was outside but there was a canopy overhead. She moved to sit up but a hand pressed firmly against her shoulder.

"Careful, Belle," A familiar voice cautioned, "You hit your head pretty hard… You might be disoriented."

Belle's eyes opened further and she stared at the woman standing over her.

"…Mulan?" She murmured, and the woman nodded.

Mulan hadn't been part of the curse.

Belle scrambled to sit up, stars blinding her as the pain in her skull throbbed. But that mattered very little as she pieced together what had happened. She had spun the hat, stayed nearby to make sure it worked properly, Regina shoved her-

"No!" She roared. Mulan held out her arms as though she was calming a startled horse. Belle glanced around the courtyard, too obviously not in the land without magic, "No, I can't be here! I can't be away from him, not when we're so close!"

"Belle…"

"I have to get back, we have to get going, I promised him only twenty-four hours until we'd leave Storybrooke!"

"Belle."

She swung her legs off of the bed but stopped. Where would she go? She had neither portal nor portal-jumper, no idea how to get back to her husband… She took a deep breath to force herself to settle down and then smiled painfully.

"I'm sorry… This probably isn't the reunion you were expecting," she mumbled, "Under any other circumstances I'd be happy to see you again, but…"

"You've fallen through a portal back to our land," Mulan finished. Belle nodded, then winced at the motion. "Your comrades are with Philip and Aurora right now."

Belle frowned, "Comrades?"

"Snow and Emma."

Belle's eyes bulged, "They followed me here?!"

"Emma was trying to stop you… And Snow White didn't want to be separated from her daughter."

"Not again, anyway," Belle murmured. Poor Snow…poor _Emma_.

She finally caught on to Mulan's nervous shifting, how she couldn't quite look at Belle straight on. "What's wrong?" She frowned, a nervousness forming, "…why am I separated from them?"

"Aurora refuses to be in the same room as you," Mulan said bluntly, "I tried to tell her but she wouldn't listen to me."

Belle stared uncomprehendingly and Mulan took a deep breath, finally meeting her eyes.

"Tell me the truth; are you the Devil's Bride?"

It had been so long since she had been called by her old nicknames that it took her a moment to realize what she was saying. Belle cringed, knowing the truth could hurt her…but there was no way she could lie to Mulan.

Belle bent her head, "…I am," she admitted.

Instead of the admission calming her, Mulan seemed infuriated by it.

"How?! The girl I met, the one who saved Philip, she would have never done something like marry the Dark One for power," she said vehemently.

"I didn't do it for power," Belle insisted, "…I did it because I love him," she shook her head, "It's not smart or safe, but I can't help it anymore than I can stop the rain from falling or keep the sun from shining," she shrugged, "He just…happened."

Mulan looked sympathetic…and pained for some reason. She glanced down at Belle's mark and Belle realized a short sleeve probably wasn't the best top for strolling around the Enchanted Forest. She missed her old gloves.

"It's just a promise," she assured Mulan, "…though I have to admit magic's a nice bonus."

"Belle!"

They turned to see Mary Margaret running towards them, Emma and Philip not far behind. Belle barely had the chance to smile before she was trapped in a tight embrace. She hugged back with a soft laugh.

"You really didn't have to follow me," she insisted.

"I can't believe Regina did that!"

"The woman who locked me in a tower and tortured me to near death? I can."

"Belle." She glanced over to see a smiling young man watching her, "Sorry I didn't recognize you at first. The clothes, the hair, the scar… They aren't as I remembered."

"It's alright, Philip; we only knew each other for about an hour," she pointed out, "What matters is that you are reunited with your true love…and that Maleficent will never bother you two again."

"Because of the curse?"

The group glanced back at Aurora, who kept her distance. She watched Belle with a mix of hatred and fear, distrust painted on every feature.

"No, because she's dead. Emma killed her," Belle inclined her head towards the savior.

They all turned to look at Emma, who was dumbstruck by the accusation.

"I thought it was a dragon… You telling me it was an evil fairy?"

"Not sure she was a fairy…" Mary Margaret murmured doubtfully.

Aurora's suspicious gaze turned back to Belle, "I know who you are… I've heard the stories."

"Most have," Belle admitted, "But the majority of them are vague, or exaggerated, or flat out untrue. I don't know why people insist we do but I for one have never eaten a baby, and I'm pretty sure Rumple hasn't either."

"Philip wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Belle," Mulan defended.

Aurora glanced at Philip and he nodded, "She saved me from the curse Maleficent placed me under… The villagers would have killed me, if she hadn't of taken the time to understand what I was trying to say."

The formerly sleeping beauty stared at the Caretaker, who was trying not to blush. Had it been anyone else she would have immediately thanked them for saving her true love's life… But this was a woman who had done horrible unmentionable things. And yet…and yet she didn't _seem_ horrible, not even back at the academy. For a minion of the darkness she didn't seem to fit the part. She was…confusing. Not able to slide into one category or the other.

"I don't trust you," Aurora stated.

Belle nodded, "I understand."

Why was she being so difficult to hate?

**III**

Alcohol was not a solution to life's problems, Mr. Gold knew. Hiding in the bottom of a bottle was temporary and his problems would be waiting for him after he was forced to sober up. But even that knowledge didn't keep him from indulging, dulling his pain to a manageable level. Besides, if he hadn't of gotten completely wasted and sobbed until he passed out on the couch, he would've gone to hunt down Regina and kill her.

He blearily opened his bloodshot eyes, throat aching while his very brain throbbed. It felt as though there was a heavy weight on his chest. Apparently the alcoholic tolerance of the Dark One hadn't carried over…or maybe it was because he hadn't drank so much since before Belle came into his life. He hoped for a brief moment that it was just another nightmare, that she'd come down the stairs and tease him for not coming to bed.

Belle was gone. Bae was in this world. Yet he couldn't imagine leaving Storybrooke without Belle, finishing the quest she had helped him so much with. He needed her as much as magic. Even more.

Something vibrated against his chest and he glanced down to see the cat, bright yellow eyes watching him. They weren't half-closed in bliss; he didn't bat at Mr. Gold's hands to try and get him to pet his fur, or bump his head in apparent ecstasy. He just sat there, staring, purring.

Belle had told him during the flurry of reading she did to prepare for caring for the kitten that cats didn't just purr when they were happy, but also when they were anxious. Mr. Gold called utter bull crap; most cats had nothing to be anxious about. Belle insisted it was like humming to them. Mr. Gold had rolled his eyes and given up trying to talk sense into her.

Now he could understand, because there was nothing to be happy about and everything to be distressed over. The cat's primary caregiver was gone. His secondary caregiver was a nervous wreck. He didn't know when or if either of those problems were going to be solved. He was coping by purring, which was much better than him meowing at the door…almost soothing, really, as if he were trying to calm Mr. Gold as well.

"Figgy…" He murmured, scratching behind both of his ears. The cat closed his eyes and bent his head forward, his purring hiking up. Mr. Gold leaned forward and pressed his forehead against the cat's, closing his eyes.

He had never wanted the thing, but he had never been so grateful for having it. It was a connection to Belle, something that could understand Mr. Gold's pain to a highly specific degree. They were the pair Belle never meant to leave behind, completely lost without her gentle guidance.

Mr. Gold yowled and the cat fled, a sudden skull-splitting noise erupting nearby. One hand grappled for the shrieking device and the other grasped his head to keep it intact. He thought he had hit the "hang up" button…but apparently it had been the "pick up" one. He sighed, holding it to his ear.

"Gold residence," he muttered half-heartedly.

"Hello, Mr. Gold, this is Principal Poppins."

Mr. Gold's brow creased, "Principal?"

"Yes. Would you be able to come to the office for a quick conference? Your dependent is facing expulsion."

Dependent? Who the bloody hell was his…

…oh. _Oh._ "…I'll be there as soon as I can," he hissed before hanging up.

Pain in the ass pussycat…

Kit Pettigrew had been to the office more times than she cared to count…but this was her first time in the conference room. It was the first time she hadn't been alone facing the wrath of the administration. It was the first time that adults were being called in. It was her first time being Katja in this situation, not Kit. Though that last "first" made her more confident than unsettled.

The kid next to her was scared out of his mind, but she couldn't imagine why. Henry Mills, the son of an evil queen and a savior… Quite the parental coincidence. Especially because one of his mothers wanted to kill the mother of his other mother. Yeeeeah, she was almost glad she didn't have anything but loosely adopted family for the curse to mess up. He seemed to be a good kid, though, and she was tempted to comfort him.

Before she opened her mouth, Principal Poppins came back in, taking a seat at the head of the table, "Your parents have been called," she informed them.

Henry's eyes widened, "But my mom is in another dimension," he insisted.

She sighed, "Your…other mother has agreed to come in in light of her absence."

Both Henry and Katja cringed. Principal Poppins didn't look too pleased either.

"I think you should just expel me and get it over with," Katja spoke up, "I mean, it is kind of creepy, a twenty-two year old amongst middle schoolers."

"You're not twenty-two."

"Actually I am, just not in human years. This," she motioned up and down her body, "Is very convincing, but I'm not human. Pureblooded werecat…the curse just took my kitty features away."

Principal Poppins just stared at her, as if trying to detect whether Katja was full of it or not. She sighed and decided to just continue, looking at Katja, "Your guardian will also be joining us."

Katja tried not to visibly cringe. He probably wouldn't be too happy about that…

Henry kept trying to meet Katja's eyes as they waited for the storm but she focused on an arrangement in the wood grain. It looked like an imp with one really big eye and one really small one.

In true Evil Queen fashion, the doors flew open to the conference room.

"What is going on?! What did they do to my son?!" Her eyes locked on Katja, "You…"

Katja tried to meow a protest, but it came out like some strangled whine with her human vocal chords. She scrambled back in her chair as Regina advanced on her.

"Mom!"

"I should have killed you when I had the chance, you troublesome arrogant snarky little kleptomaniac!"

"Why are you mad at me?!"

"Stop!"

Regina loomed over Katja, her fingers curled as if forming a fireball. Apparently either she couldn't or wouldn't actually make one. Katja was beyond-words grateful for that, especially because she wasn't positive she could teleport across the room if need be.

"Ms. Poppins has informed me that Henry was involved in an incident you were a part of," Regina growled accusingly.

"She saved me!" Katja winced as Henry practically trumpeted the words, "I was being bullied by a group of kids and she cut in."

Regina stared at Katja and Katja turned away, feeling like she had a sudden sunburn on her face.

"You…saved him?" She said slowly. The Evil Queen was clearly daft.

"What was I supposed to do, watch?" Katja muttered, drawing her knees to her chest, "Not his fault he was adopted by the Evil Queen…"

"As we discussed beforehand it wasn't your reason, it was your method," Principal Poppins said slowly, "But we'll wait until your guardian arrives to fully explain what occurred."

Regina's face went blank, "…her guardian?"

Everyone's timing seemed to be spot on today because only a few second later, Mr. Gold strolled in. Katja grinned sheepishly at him.

"Hey Rumproast…"

"Ten o'clock and you're already in trouble?" He grumbled, though his glare was intently locked on Regina, "I thought you weren't a morning person."

"Maybe that's why; I'm not awake enough to think rationally and therefore I made a poor decision." She glanced at Principal Poppins, but apparently fake-acknowledgement of a perceived bad move wasn't gaining her any points. She turned back to the other grown-ups.

She had been around for the Evil Queen's tutelage, watching mostly from the shadows as the almost-sweet young woman turned into a formidable antagonist. She had seen them get along, had seen them annoyed with each other, had even seen them fight. But this, Regina stepping back while Mr. Gold glared at her as if looks could kill… There was actual hatred going on, and Katja wondered if she'd have to scoot out of the way of impending murder.

But Mr. Gold's glare broke and Regina maneuvered out of his way while he took a seat next to Katja, "What seems to be the problem here, Ms. Poppins?"

Principal Poppins, who had been warily watching the pair, folded her hands together on the table, "Miss Pettigrew…_Katja_ I believe she said her uncursed name was… Has gotten into a fight."

Mr. Gold arched an eyebrow, "So?"

Principal Poppins' lips tightened, "So she attacked a group of ten younger children-"

"Henry's age," Katja clarified.

"Using what appeared to be martial arts techniques-"

"Reggie's decision to hardwire these skills into my brain has evidentially backfired."

"And sending many of them to the hospital."

"The school overreacted."

"One of the boys has a concussion."

"That's what happens when your head smacks against concrete."

Mr. Gold frowned at Katja, "Picking on children… I taught you better than that." Katja bowed her head, actually looking ashamed for once, "Why are you harassing kids half your mental age?"

"She was defending me," Henry spoke up again, a weight to his voice, "They were bullying me because of who my adoptive mother is, like it was my choice. Their leader was pushing me, trying to get me to fight… When Katja came out of nowhere, taking them down like…like…"

"Like a werecat," Regina supplied, looking guilty and disgusted with herself, as she should be with her son being bullied for his mother's reputation.

Henry looked at Katja with a sense of awe, as though she were some sort of hero. Katja inwardly rolled her eyes at that thought; she didn't have the moral boundaries to be anything more than an occasional vigilante.

"Katja's cursed persona has done many, _many_ things against school code…but this is different. She's attacked other students, many of them needing medical attention. And, though Henry here testifies for self-defense," Principal Poppins nodded towards him, "I'm afraid it's too much and too serious to merely brush off."

"Expel her, then."

Principal Poppins and Henry both stared at Mr. Gold. Katja tried not to smile.

"Mental versus physical age aside, the way school is set up, with classrooms and hardly any hands-on activities, trapped inside and told what to do for eight hours a day five days a week… Katja will continue to cause problems because this is simply not the place for her."

"But she needs an education," Principal Poppins insisted, "All children do."

"Then she will teach herself," Mr. Gold said simply, "If she wants to know, she'll learn, sometimes through tough experience but she is perfectly capable of surviving her own mistakes."

Katja glowed at his praise, giving a few rumbling grunts before she realized she couldn't even purr. Being a human sucked.

"Now either she is expelled or I withdraw her myself. If I were you I would go for the former, since there is a zero tolerance policy against fighting. Might as well make an example of her."

Katja emerged from the office a free woman, no longer oppressed by the board of education and able to do whatever she wanted. She was grinning like a cat, stealing glances at an aggravated Mr. Gold. Finally, hallway clear and he unsuspecting, she threw her arms around him and squeezed tight.

"You're the best, Rump!"

He staggered at the force, but didn't push her away. He didn't yell and berate her for being a cuddly nuisance. He just paused a moment, smirking and letting himself be hugged.

"I know."

"And thank you for not killing me when I was that annoying Kit bitch."

"The thought crossed my mind plenty of times, but you're welcome."

"I probably would've killed her if, yanno, I was aware…and not her."

A hand slowly rose, resting on her head and stroking her long hair once, "…I missed you, Puss," he confessed softly.

"Missed you too…Only I didn't know I did. But I kind of did, in my gut…" Her head rose, glaring at him, "…you made me clean your house because I stole my own ball back." Mr. Gold smirked and Katja sighed, burying her face in his jacket, "Whatever, I can't be mad at you for anything you did because you suffered Kit to try and bring me back. Not sure I'd do the same for you."

Mr. Gold stood for a moment longer, then sighed.

"Alright, off." Katja whined. "I mean it, Kitty Kat, we're in public."

"So if we go somewhere private you'll show me affection?"

"Not likely, but at least I won't beat you to within an inch of your ninth life." Katja grumbled but pulled away, content to merely walk beside him.

It was weird, Rumplestiltskin being human. She wasn't sure she liked him this way, especially since he had a bum leg. He just looked so utterly plain without his green sparkle-skin and lizard eyes. He was a bit too serious to be her mentor, but she still recognized him in the glint of his eyes and expressive hands. She followed him out into the parking lot before biting her lip and turning to face him head on.

"Do you and Bluebelle wanna like…go grab some cheese fries or something?" She asked shyly.

His head snapped towards her, looking at her as if trying to decide whether she was serious or not. Katja stared back innocently and his expression softened.

"Belle's gone."

"Obviously," Katja motioned around the Belle-less campus.

He shook his head, "No, Belle's gone…from this world. The hat that took Emma and Snow White away…also stole Belle."

Katja's eyes widened, "No shit… Gods, are you alright?"

Mr. Gold's lips twitched and he shook his head, "No…and I doubt I will be until I at least know she's alright," he turned his head away.

Katja set her hand over his on his cane, "Chill," she murmured gently, "Remember who you're talking about. She helped me slaughter an entire tribe of ogres and she's read more books than anyone ever. I don't need a crystal ball to see how she is; Belle is fine, having an adventure but missing you," she shrugged, "If she wasn't, you'd probably explode or something."

Her mini-speech earned her a small smirk, "Shouldn't I be the one encouraging you?"

"About what? I don't have a true love in another realm," she insisted.

He turned back to her, frowning, "You don't have a true love _anywhere_; I forbid you falling in love and getting married."

Katja snickered, "You can't stop true love."

"Sure I can," he insisted, "You're _my_ pussycat. I don't want some boy stealing you away."

"First of all, it'll be a man, or a woman I'm flexible, but no boy or girl. Second, I have needs, needs you cannot fulfill because ew. Third…how do you know I haven't found him already?"

"Because I would've known if you had," he said confidently.

Katja cocked an eyebrow, "What if I couldn't be with him? Starcrossed lovers and all that jazz."

There was something terrifyingly serious about Katja's face. It made Mr. Gold uneasy.

"…do you have a true love, Katja?" He asked softly.

She shrugged casually, "Everyone does… But don't worry about it, Rumpy," she squeezed his hand before backpedaling, "Love is madness, and I don't want to go mad."

By the time Mr. Gold had worked through her jaded comment and came up with a rebuttal, she was gone. Perhaps love _was _madness…but it certainly made reality easier to deal with.

**III**

"Twas brillig, and the slithy toves. Did gyre and gimble in the wabe," A young woman sang cheerily as she made her way through the endless forest, now caring very little about which path she'd take. She'd eventually get to where she was going and there was no use worrying over if she was taking the right way or not. Ways weren't right or wrong when it came to travelling roads; some were just more direct than others.

A hand suddenly snatched hers, lacing their fingers together. She had long ago gotten used to Ches's sudden appearing and disappearing act, though the feline still tried to catch her by surprise.

"All mimsy were the borogoves," she chimed in and together they sang, "And the mome raths outgraaaaaaaaaaabe."

They giggled like school children, before shrieking as someone grabbed the pair of them.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!" Jefferson growled as menacingly as he could and the women laughed hysterically as he took on an odd accent, "Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun the frumious Bandersnaaaaaaaaaatch!"

Their hatter draped his arms around both of their shoulders and the trio continued forward, laughing and stumbling about as if they were drunk. Ches for one knew she was, drunk off her tail from the perfection of the moment, her two best friends at her side, the world their oyster and nothing impossible in their Wonderland. Ches would have loved to freeze time and stay right there in that moment, feel that intoxication of life forever. Inside of it she didn't worry that she'd never find the rabbit hole, didn't miss Rump or her mother, didn't have to read Alice or Jefferson. She could just be Ches.

The trio tromped to a stop as they spotted a piece of parchment nailed to a tree. Ches ducked away from Jefferson to investigate. There were two sketches, one of a woman who looked incredibly like her and one that looked incredibly like Alice. It was a wanted poster, dead or alive, at the command of Her Majesty the Queen of Hearts. No reason was given but 10,000 gold pieces per rebel was in bold.

"You crash one croquet game and suddenly it's all "off with your head"," Ches muttered as Jefferson peered over her shoulder.

He tore the flyer down, "I told you two to be careful…" He growled.

"Relax, Jeff, it's the Queen of Hearts. We lie low for a week and she'll forget all about it," Alice insisted, then frowned, "Why am _I_ on there though? Just because I snuck into the tournament and giggled at your antics?"

"Like she needs a reason beyond that," Ches muttered, continuing to stroll along the lane. Alice followed and Jefferson sighed.

On one hand they had a point; the Queen of Hearts had a notoriously short temper but he wasn't sure it would be as easily forgotten as they imagined. Being an enemy of the Queen was not a good idea.

"We could go to Neverland, or Narnia, wait for it to blow over," Alice suggested. She elbowed Ches, "But you'd have to go this time too."

"And have the clock turn back on me? No thanks, I like being on this end of puberty," she grumbled.

"Well if you would have taken holidays like Jeff and I, you would be just a permanently aged," she insisted, "Instead, you've been white rabbit hunting trying to find its hole."

"You came here through that hole didn't you?"

"Yes…"

"And you came from a land without magic, right?"

"Right…"

"So in order to get to a land without magic, I have to find the white rabbit's hole," she concluded.

"Why would you want to go to a land without magic?" Jefferson piped up, "You're one of the most magically dependent people I know."

"It's not for me," she protested, "…it's for a friend."

Jefferson studied Ches, curious about the mix of determination and sadness in her dark eyes. It really was for a friend… But who wanted to go to a land without magic?

They arrived at their destination; a pool that was formed by twin waterfalls that trickled down the side of a cliff before cascading downwards. Alice insisted it looked like a giant crying; Ches saw two constantly bleeding puncture wounds on a shoulder. Jefferson thought they were both crazy.

Ches immediately began undoing the lacings of her dress, heart pounding. Alice gasped.

"Chessa, no! Not with Jefferson here!"

"What?" She mumbled, desperately hoping she was just imagining color rising to her cheeks, "Jeffy's seen us plenty of time in our shifts."

"Yes, but that was _before_ we became women," Alice explained, certainly blushing.

"Nothing's changed though…right Jeffy?"

His eyes seemed to be transfixed on her lacings. He blinked slowly, raising his lovely eyes to meet hers, "What was that?"

And there it came again, this…mysterious feeling, a heat forming in a spot below her stomach. She didn't just want to take off her dress; she wanted to take off her shift, her intimates, even her boots, bare herself to Jefferson without apology. She wanted him to see who she was, all of it, to tell him her real name and that she too was from the Enchanted Forest and knew Rumplestiltskin. She wanted him to know her inside out, beginning but not ending with her body. But she was afraid of telling him or even Alice this; such thoughts were probably disgusting to a human, sex an endgame instead of a starting point to them.

"Jefferson you weren't invited," Alice chastised lightly, "It's a girl's swim."

"And I'm not one of the girls?" He feigned hurt, clutching at his chest. Both Alice and Ches rolled their eyes at him.

"Go play with your buddy the March Hare or something," Ches said, idly tugging on her laces.

His eyes trailed back down to her hands, then snapped up, "…alright. Just call if you want me to join in."

It was meant to be a joke, but Ches wished he was serious.

Once he was safely off wandering, Ches and Alice stripped down to their shifts, slipping into the pool. Ches dunked her head under and surfaced, enjoying the cool water. She wasn't an avid swimmer, but she didn't hate it like stereotypes would lead people to think.

"Chessa?" Alice asked softly.

Ches turned to face her. She sat, treading water and looking like she didn't know how to phrase what she wanted to say. Eventually she took a deep and asked, "Do you think Jefferson's…attractive?"

Ches couldn't hold back a snort, "I guess… I mean, if he wasn't one of my best friends," she tilted her head, "Why do you ask?"

Alice bit her lip, "I don't know… I just feel so _strange_ around him lately. My heart starts pounding and I get these odd thoughts…of chapels and white picket fences. I don't know, it sounds silly when I say it out loud." She sank down, her dark hair fanning out like seaweed, "…do you think I'm in love?" She queried.

Love…if Alice was in love, then what was Ches in? Lust? Could her feelings really be simplified like that, as just wanting to bang a cute guy?

"I wouldn't know," Ches confessed, "Never been in it."

"I think I am," Alice murmured, "But how can I find out if he feels the same?"

"Ask him," Ches muttered. That should be obvious even for Alice.

"I don't want to look silly!" She insisted.

Ches let herself float up onto her back, watching the clouds lazily.

"…could you ask him for me?" Ches kicked a few times, very nearly going under in her shock, "I just think you'll be able to put it better."

"Me? Little Miss Blunt? I'll make both of us look stupid."

"You won't, Ches. I'm sure of it."

The werecat glanced up to see Alice looking down at her. She smiled and Ches's insides twisted like snakes.

"…I'll see what I can do," she finally surrendered.

"You're such a good friend," Alice praised, "I'm lucky to have you."

Ches laughed weakly, tempted to drown herself, "Love you too Allie…"

Wonderland was beautiful, in its own way. It wasn't Jefferson's favorite world by any means but there was a certain pleasing aesthetic about blades of grass tall as trees, petals large enough to be beds. The way the sunset filtered through the hundreds of blades, playing with the light… It made the mad world almost bearable. Truthfully he only stayed because of Alice and Chessa's fascination with it. Sadly he didn't think that Ches would ever leave now, not with the threat of deaging and her obsession with the rabbit hole.

As was her style, she simply appeared, leaning against a blade of grass. She was captivating, a stained glass decoration always turning, throwing her colors out across a room. She was enigmatic, and yet an open book. An ever-changing painting that was at the same time familiar, perhaps because it changed.

"Have a nice swim?" He asked.

She shrugged, "It was fine," she examined him, cocking her head quizically, "What were you thinking about?"

Jefferson smirked, "I was contemplating things that began with the letter "c". Color, change, climate…"

"Confessions?"

He shook his head, "Cheshire Cat."

She lifted an eyebrow, "Certainly?"

"Consistently."

"Cause?"

"Craziness," he grinned, "Caring constantly… Conversations cancelled… Cognition confidentially confined."

Ches was sure she was hearing only what she wanted to hear…perhaps a projection of her own emotions. Because there was no way this man could feel the way she felt towards him towards her. It would be far too convenient…and far too wrong.

"What are you saying, Jefferson?" She asked plainly.

Jefferson pouted as she stopped their game, walking towards her, "C'mon, Ches… It's not that hard to figure out," he smiled, that brilliant smile that made her stomach clench, "I mean, haven't you seen the way I look at you? I know you've noticed, by the laces stunt you pulled today…"

Ches winced, "…this isn't the way this conversation's supposed to go."

He raised his eyebrows, "And how _is_ it supposed to go?"

She took a deep breath and huffed it out, "…how do you feel about Alice?"

It was his turn to cock his head, "Alice? She's my best friend."

"Just your best friend?"

Jefferson studied Ches, slowly drawing out the meaning behind her questions, "…just my best friend," he said, a hand reaching out to gently brush her jaw, "My blood doesn't race whenever she's near… I don't find myself wishing I could just…lean…in…and…"

He had been bending down towards her with each word, his voice growing softer and softer. Ches hesitated for a fraction of a second before coming the rest of the way and pressing her lips to his.

It was gentle, careful, not at all the sort of kiss Ches had witnessed or even given before. There was a sort of shyness to it, a kind of slow grace. It didn't so much end as morph into a second longer kiss, only a tad bit firmer. He tasted like tea leaves and sugar.

They continued to experiment, nothing rushed but a type of intensity beginning to build. And then there was something in her chest, something screaming "yes, yes, yes!" and she felt as though all of her emotions, all of her strength, all of her being were pushing out towards him, trying to give her whole self to him.

She broke away with a gasp, terrified at whatever that had just been. Jefferson looked at her questioningly but Ches couldn't explain. She simply shook her head and vanished.

What the hell was that sudden devotion about? Yet, even as she asked the question…she knew the answer.

Over the next several days Jefferson kept trying to get Ches alone but Ches refused, either disappearing entirely or staying by Alice's side. Every time Alice tried to ask about if she had found out Jefferson's feelings Ches changed the subject. She couldn't talk about what had happened… Didn't want to think about what happened. Because she knew, in the back of her mind, that it hadn't just been a kiss shared by two old friends.

If Rump's descriptions were anything to go by, she had shared true love's kiss with Jefferson. And that, to a werecat, was deadly.

**III**

The three horses Mulan and Philip had brought split up the group smoothly; Philip and Aurora on his stallion, Mulan and Belle on her filly, and Mary Margaret and Emma on the mare. Emma was instantly wishing for a side cart or something, unable to get used to the up and down jerking merry-go-rounds hadn't prepared her for. She was embarrassed at how tight she was holding on to Mary Margaret, but she didn't really have a choice if she wanted to keep her seat.

Near dusk they approached a small settlement on the edge of the woods, without so much as a wall to close it off from danger. The villagers, if they could be called that, glanced nervously towards the newcomers, not appearing very comforted by the fact that Philip and Mulan had returned. Emma watched enviously at how easily the other pairs dismounted…and then there was her. She sort of just…slid off and managed not to fall over.

Mulan took off her cloak and draped it over Belle's shoulders. Belle immediately recognized the gesture for what it was and tightened it around her, hiding her arms. Mulan gave Aurora a glare, one that Aurora easily read; don't run around the camp raving about the Devil's Bride, even if she was among them. Aurora turned away bitterly, Philip taking her hand to reassure her.

"She's a good person," he said softly.

"She might've been, when you knew her," Aurora muttered in response.

"Philip, why don't you go tell our leader that we've returned…with more company than we expected," Mulan added, glancing at the trio of misfits.

Philip nodded, kissing Aurora's hand, "I'll be right back."

"Let me come with you," she pleaded.

He laughed, "I won't be gone long… Just play nice with the other girls."

Aurora grimaced, glancing at the group. The Caretaker was watching her but she appeared…sad. As though viewing a play that reminded her of her past. She had been taken from her love when she went through the portal…was she missing him? _Could_ she miss him?

Belle jumped a little as Mary Margaret lightly touched her elbow, her lips barely moving as she spoke.

"They're watching you, Belle," she murmured, flicking her eyes towards the villagers, "Me and Emma a little bit too, but they are definitely focusing on you…"

She did a quick survey before responding, "None of them look familiar."

"And you'd know every single person you or Rumplestiltskin have ever dealt with?"

"Most of them, at least."

"They'd know who you are just by looking at you?"

"I wouldn't think so," she glanced down at her arm, but it was as securely hidden as it had been since she'd dismounted, "But I wouldn't shrug it off too readily."

Mulan tried to stare down the other survivors, keep them from asking questions, but even she couldn't hold their curiosity at bay. Emma glanced between the nervous clumps of villagers eyeing up Belle and the various members of their own group.

It was a quiet almost stand-off until a woman's frail voice broke through the murmurs.

"Caretaker?"

Belle knew it was a mistake to respond, that she should have ignored it and pretended that she was just some random stranger. But the tone to it, the quiver of hope…plus there was the knee jerk reaction of her title being called. She glanced towards a middle aged woman, whose hands were trembling as she moved closer than the others dared. And there it was, the desperation that seemed to come with every deal.

Her eyes swam with tears, "My son… He's sick…dying. I…please…"

She could hear Rumple's voice in the back of her head, insisting that she should turn away and not concern herself with the issue. That it wasn't worth getting tangled up with these people, that she should try to keep her distance and pretend she had no idea what they were talking about.

But no matter how hard she tried…she could never quite get the hang of being a true Dark One.

She glanced apologetically at her friends before making her way towards the woman, "Take me to him," she said, as authoritative as possible.

Terrified but grateful, the woman led Belle away. Emma stared after them, the correlation not quite clicking.

"Is she, like, a celebrity or something?" She asked.

"Less a celebrity and more a legend," Mary Margaret said, glancing around the camp, "When you don't have much hope, you cling to anything."

Less a legend and more a mythological goddess called upon for miracles, Emma thought. Belief in something was powerful, even if that something didn't exist. Like Santa Claus.

"I'm glad that you found your true love," Lancelot said as Philip stood to leave, "Though I am concerned about these strangers from another realm."

Philip smiled, "Don't worry; one of them is an old friend of Mulan's, and helped me once upon a time. I doubt she'd align herself with anyone untrustworthy."

As if to counter his statement, a guard came rushing in to the quarters.

"What is it, Tristan?"

"It's that boy Lazarus. The one every medicine person said would die within the week," The guard took a deep breath, "He's been healed."

Lancelot stood, walking towards the door, "How can this be?"

"Magic," Tristan said simply.

The fallen knight walked out onto the deck of the hut built a few feet above the ground, peering out. In the glow of torchlight, he saw that the pale sickly child was now healthy, running around with his ecstatic playmates. Lancelot frowned.

"No one has magic in this village, not even the prisoner."

"It was one of the strangers, a powerful sorceress returned to our land from the curse," Tristan glanced at Lancelot, "…they've been calling her the Caretaker."

Lancelot glanced at Philip, who grinned, "That's the one I was telling you about. I don't know what you've heard but I assure you it's probably just an exaggeration."

Problem was, Lancelot had never heard of the Caretaker, and didn't like the thought of someone with magic tossing it about the place.

The four women loitered near what must've functioned as the common area, a few tables with benches under a roof. Mulan couldn't seem to stop pacing, and Aurora kept messing with her shawl. Mary Margaret glanced towards where Belle had wandered off to every few minutes and Emma hoped she hadn't been burned alive or whatever people did with witches around here.

Eventually Belle reappeared, a lightness to her step and an ease to her posture. She took a seat next to Mary Margaret and grinned.

"The boy…is he…?"

"He's going to be fine," Belle assured her, "It was beyond herbs, but not beyond magic."

"And what did you ask for in return?" Aurora murmured.

Belle glanced at her, "It's a private matter…but something he could easily afford."

Aurora rolled her eyes before turning away. Even that didn't seem to dull Belle's spirits much, who continued to smile to herself as though fueled by others' happiness.

The quintet glanced up as Philip rejoined them, looking slightly confused.

"Our leader wants to meet with you," he said, sounding a little surprised, "He's asked you three to dinner."

Emma's stomach clenched painfully and she realized she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. The tenseness of the situation had pushed food to the back of her mind but now hunger had returned with a vengeance. None of the others seemed to object to a meal, following Philip to a longhouse that served as a dining hall.

Towards the back sat a tall, powerfully built man in armor, lost in thought. Mary Margaret spotted him and beamed.

"Lancelot!"

The man glanced up and smiled, "Snow… Philip didn't tell me you were one of the strangers."

"To be fair he didn't tell me that you were the leader either," she laughed, skirting the table to embrace him.

Emma was glad she wasn't the only one caught off guard by the apparent reunion. Belle and Mulan, now Snow White and Lancelot? Next she'd find out that Red Riding Hood was friends with one of Cinderella's mice.

"Please, make yourselves comfortable," Lancelot said, motioning around the circular table.

Emma sat across from Lancelot, with Mary Margaret on his left and Belle to his right. The other three seemed to have bowed out as quickly as they could and Emma was starting to wonder if she should be more concerned about Mrs. Gold.

"You were taken with the curse; how did you get back?" Lancelot asked incredulously.

Mary Margaret shrugged, "Fell through a portal… Long story," she tilted her head, "The real question is why you weren't… I thought it covered the entire land."

Lancelot shook his head, "It's a mystery as to why we stayed behind… For some reason this region remained untouched."

Mary Margaret glanced at Belle, but Belle just shrugged, equally mystified.

"We fought for this safe haven… Twenty eight years have given the beasts of the realm time to flourish and gain control of the majority of the land. Especially the ogres."

"Ogres? Like fe-fi-fo-fum?" Emma asked.

Mary Margaret rested a hand on her daughter's arm, "No, those are giants."

Belle looked a little offended by the statement, but said nothing out loud. Emma stared down at Mary Margaret's hand and she shyly drew it away.

"It doesn't matter; we need to get back home, to our families," she insisted before glancing at Belle, "I…think I have an idea on the "how"," she admitted. Belle looked slightly surprised at this news.

"What is it?" Lancelot asked curiously.

Just then, dinner arrived. Emma's nose wrinkled as a platter of gigantic ribs was set in front of them, alongside a small stack of plates.

"Do I want to know what that is?" Emma mumbled.

"Looks like chimera," Belle observed, "Part goat, part lion, part snake…and pretty aggressive."

Emma and Mary Margaret both appraised the meat nervously, while Lancelot started sawing the meat off the bones.

"I haven't had chimera in ages," Belle said wistfully, "Probably not since my journey to Agrabah."

"You've actually eaten this?" Mary Margaret asked, and if Mary Margaret sounded incredulous at this news then Emma sure as hell was concerned now.

Belle shrugged, "It's pretty much eating whatever you can kill when you're trekking through the wilderness. Certainly not the worst thing I've ever had to eat," she eagerly dished up a plate for herself, "It's terrific with curry sauce."

Emma had never imagined Disney's bookworm Belle capable of killing her own food…then again this was the woman who went at Pinocchio with an axe. She was starting to think their world left a lot out with their retellings.

Mulan's cape slid as Belle helped herself, and Lancelot glanced down at her arm, "So you're the sorceress they've been talking about."

Belle's eyes widened in horror, and she quickly worked to hide her dark mark.

"They call you the Caretaker because of what you did for that boy," he ventured.

"My name's Belle," she said softly.

Lancelot smirked, "I'm sure your intentions are good, Belle… But one miracle will not win them over. Dark magic shouldn't be trusted in the first place, but especially after this curse and the discover of Cora-"

"Cora?" Mary Margaret interrupted, her pitch rising to a squeak.

Lancelot nodded gravely, "She's lost her power, but we've imprisoned her, just to be sure."

"Who's Cora?" Emma asked, continuing to study the meal and weighing it against just how starving she was.

"Regina's mother," Mary Margaret explained, "She disappeared shortly before Regina married my father… It was rumored that Regina exiled her."

"Her own kid kicked her out of the kingdom?"

Mary Margaret shrugged, "Says a lot about Cora, doesn't it?"

"Cora's dead."

They turned to a shell shocked Belle, who stared at Lancelot in a silent prayer that he was lying. Her voice shook and she kept her hands firmly clasped in her lap.

"Regina saw the body herself," she whimpered.

"Apparently Cora's mentor taught her well, to be able to fake her own death," Lancelot murmured.

Belle's chin quivered for a moment before she pushed her seat back, "I need some air," she breathed, stumbling to her feet and retreating. Her chimera remained untouched.

The three watched her leave the longhouse, Mary Margaret fighting the urge to follow her.

"I didn't know that she knew Cora," she admitted.

Emma shrugged, surrendering to her stomach and dishing some of the questionable meal onto her plate, "Gold might've told her about her," she pointed out.

Lancelot frowned, intrigued by Belle's reaction…well by Belle herself. He didn't like the thought of someone who could challenge him in his domain.

**III**

"Ches you're far too quiet."

The cat in question glanced up from the tea leaves she had been idly stirring, looking at Alice and Jefferson.

"Just contemplating things that start with the letter A," she said, "Angst. Abstinence. Anger. Adultery."

"Adultery?" Jefferson scoffed.

"Already an anxiety." She glanced at her old friend, "…Alice."

Jefferson frowned, before glancing in the same direction. Alice looked between the pair of them and glowered.

"What is going on between you two?" She muttered, "You've been acting so strange since Ches and I went for that swim."

If only Alice knew…

Ches went back to listlessly stirring her tea, Jefferson dumping more honey into his. Alice fumed.

"We have never kept secrets before and we are not about to start now," she said firmly. She turned to Ches, "Is it because you asked him that question we talked about?"

No. In fact she was pretty sure it was the exact opposite of that.

Ches shifted uncomfortably, "You know we only have one birthday a year, but what about the 364 other days? Are they our _un_birthdays?"

"Ches!"

"I suppose that makes today my unbirthday," Jefferson mused.

"What a coincidence, it's my unbirthday too!"

"Well a merry unbirthday to you, then!"

"To you!"

Ears welled up in Alice's eyes as she got to her feet, "You two are impossible!" She exclaimed, "A pair of insane children incapable of growing up! Well I refuse to sit around playing informational monkey in the middle!"

"Alice…" Jefferson murmured.

"Don't "Alice" me!" She snapped, hands balling into fists, "When you're ready to actually act like an adult and _talk_ instead of throwing around riddles, then you can come find me!" She stormed away, trying extremely hard not to let either Jefferson or Ches see her cry.

Ches watched until she vanished from sight, then growled and pushed her tea away, "Now look what you did…"

"What _I_ did? _You're_ the one who refuses to tell her the truth!" Jefferson protested.

"It would devastate her!"

"And keeping things from her won't?!" He shook his head, "You're a real piece of work, you know that?"

"Look who's talking."

"At least when I feel something I'm not afraid of it."

"Alice loves you!"

"Which is a shame because I'm in love with you!"

The entire forest seemed to still at his confession. Ches stared at him and he shifted as though sitting on a pile of jacks. He cleared his throat.

"…I love you, Chessa, alright? And if you don't feel the same then I-"

Ches could only describe it as instinct, her logic disappearing in light of the heat in her veins. She stepped onto the table, scarcely caring what her boots crushed, as she crossed the distance between them. She sank to her knees on his placemat, snagging him by the scarf, and stared him in the eye.

"I love you too, Jefferson," she growled.

Their mouths connected so fast their teeth clacked together, and he surged to his feet. Claws made shreds of his clothing and he tore at hers eagerly, scrambling up onto the table. Hot tea spilled and dishes were knocked over as their mouths opened, hands all over each other. Cups shattered as Ches pinned Jefferson to the table, grinding against him. A hand fisted in her hair, legs entwining with hers and she was suddenly flipped over, back slamming against the table and causing a tea pot to smash.

Alice could have been standing right there and Ches wouldn't care enough to stop, embarrassingly vocal as Jefferson caressed her, the feel of his mouth on her skin the most perfect sensation she had ever felt. Her ears filled with the soundtrack of breaking porcelain and Jefferson's groans. Her eyes were filled with his body and the night sky looming over them. And, for the first time in her entire life, she felt…whole.

It was hours before they calmed down, casually spooning on what had once been a tea party. She had jam in her hair and there was a smear of butter on his back, their skin tea and sweat soaked… But it was still perfect. Ches leaned her head back against his chest.

"…why _is_ a raven like a writing desk?" She wondered idly.

"I haven't the faintest idea," Jefferson murmured, kissing her neck.

And the feeling came back again. Of devotion completely to Jefferson. Of everyone else coming second, and nothing else mattering besides Jefferson's happiness. The feeling she couldn't go on without him.

She gave herself credit for not bolting this time, her hammer heart the only thing that could betray her.

"Jeffy, we can't do this."

"You're right. One of us will eventually end up with a piece of glass in our buttocks."

"No, I mean _this_…" She nuzzled his shoulder gently, "It would break Allie's heart."

"At first, maybe, but she'll get over it. She'll be happy for us, and find her own love."

"And what if she doesn't? You want to lose her?"

"Of course not," he muttered into her hair, "I love her, but not like I love you. She's our best friend."

"Then think of that. I'll still be around if you choose her…but I can't promise the reverse."

"Oh come on, Alice isn't that shallow," Jefferson insisted, "She'll understand."

"You obviously know nothing about women and their abilities to resent." She sighed, hating herself for sinking so low but knowing she'd have to in order to convince him, "If you continue to pursue me I will leave Wonderland."

Jefferson tensed, then jerked up to stare down at her, "…you're bluffing."

Ches shook her head, "Never been so serious in my entire life. Choose Alice and I won't do the time warp and go back to being ten."

Jefferson pulled away, "You're heartless, you know that?" He snarled.

Ches propped herself up on her elbows, "Caring about my bestie is _heartless_? Dang, who knew."

Jefferson clenched his jaw, causing a tendon in his neck to jump, "It's not just about Alice. I know it, you know it, so just tell me what it is."

How on earth was she supposed to describe her feelings to him? That falling in love with him felt as dangerous as parading around a tribe of ogres with a trumpet and a suit made of raw meat? She shrugged lightly.

"Sorry, Jeffy… My life means more to me than you."

The next day Ches lay out near the pool, trying to hold back the thoughts of last night. She wanted to apologize, to explain that she was just terrified at how intense her emotions were. Give her time and be a little patient and then maybe…

"Ches! Ches!"

Ches opened her eyes, looking up as Alice leaned over her.

"You talked to him, didn't you?!"

She blinked, confused as to why she seemed so happy about it, "Um, yeah, I talked to Jefferson."

"I knew it!" She squealed, hugging the cat tight, "He told me this morning that he has feelings for me! Can you believe it?! Oh Ches, I'm so happy I could die! Thank you, thank you, thank you! You're the best friend in the world!"

If that were true then the world was in serious trouble.

The scene repeated six months later when Alice informed Ches that Jefferson had proposed. Another six months and Ches was the maid of honor at her best friend and the love of her life's wedding, an intimate gathering held underneath blades of grass tall as trees.

Ches watched the dragonflies and horseflies chase each other, feeling as though someone were squeezing her heart to the point she couldn't breathe. But she would live…wasn't that what mattered? That her weird oober-emotions wouldn't turn her into a lemming if something were to happen to Jefferson?

"I was hoping you'd speak now," The man in question admitted, coming up behind her.

Ches shrugged, "I'd rather forever hold my peace," she replied.

He sat down beside her on a log that, if they were on the same scale as the forest, would be little more than a twig. She couldn't look at him and he didn't glance at her. She finally sighed, her feet going pigeon-toed.

"Just promise me you two will be happy… That I didn't doom you to eternal marital hell in an attempt to make all of us content."

"We will," he assured her, then took a deep breath, "We don't bring up the tea party, ever. Agreed?"

"No one has to know," Ches murmured in agreement. It was enough that it happened.

It fell into silence and a part of Ches longed for the days when they spoke easily, when they were friends and Wonderland lived up to its name. Things had been so simple then… But of course her and Alice both had to go and fall for their mutual bestie Jeffy. And Ches knew it was chicks before-

"You ready…my husband?"

They glanced up in unison at Alice, no longer a vision in white but still glowing. Jefferson stood, taking his top hat off and smiling.

"Whenever you are, Mrs. Liddell." She giggled and they linked arms.

His hat fell with a twirl, spinning of its own accord and creating its vortex. Alice beamed at Ches, hair flying wildly.

"We'll see you in a few weeks, Chessa!"

Ches managed to smile, tears streaming down her face, "See you then. Have fun, lovebirds!"

Jefferson didn't look back and, once it was large enough, they jumped. The purple swallowed them before vanishing, the hat slowing and finally falling onto its side. Ches picked it up and held it to her chest, finally able to cry. She sobbed, loud and ugly, for a thousand reasons…mostly because the cost of her life was so high.

She walked home that night wishing she had Rump with her; sometimes his boots weren't enough, and she could use his bluntness to tell her that she had done the right thing for everyone involved. She spotted a flyer posted to a tree and glanced at it. She might've thought it was hers and Alice's old wanted poster… Only the price on their heads had doubled.

**III**

Katja had no idea what to do with herself now that she wasn't busy trying to get out of school. She should be figuring out her place in the new economy; ogre killing had been her bread and butter in the Enchanted Forest, but there wasn't much need for that here. She didn't like resorting to theft unless she'd done a favor for someone. Maybe Rump would hire her, even though the thought of him as her boss was the stuff of nightmares.

"Hey!"

Katja paused to see a girl Henry's age running to catch up to her. Intrigued, Katja waited, phantom tail twitching. The girl smiled at her and something buzzed in the back of Katja's mind, as though she should be reminded of someone.

"I heard about what you did, protecting Henry from those bullies," she said, "I just wanted to say that I think that was a really nice thing for you to do."

Katja arched an eyebrow, "You probably didn't hear the part where I beat them up, then."

"I did, but still… It's the thought that counts," she looked her over, "So who were you, back in our land?"

"Katja," she said, "A lot of people knew me as the Puss in Boots, though."

The girl glanced down at Katja's footwear and smirked before looking back up at her, "Well I was known as Paige here, but my real name's Grace."

The epiphany smacked Katja in the face and she was stunned silent. Grace… Of course it was Grace, she resembled her mother so much. But that smile…

"Henry says that my papa's known as the Mad Hatter," Grace continued, taking Katja's silence as confusion, "But I don't think he's truly mad…"

"It's…nice to meet you…Grace," Katja choked out the words, fighting the urge to hold her close and tell her how much she's wanted to see her again.

"Nice to meet you too, Katja," she smiled again and turned to leave.

"Wait," Katja spat, not wanting Grace to go away so soon, not after all this time. Grace looked back at her curiously, "You want to grab lunch at Granny's or something?"

There was no precedence for this question; Kit and Paige had never said a single word to each other the entire curse. But Grace just nodded as if it were a perfectly logical, perfectly natural offer.

"Sure."

Katja thought she might explode at the single syllable.

**III**

Ches really hoped it was her sensitive ears and that Alice wasn't actually screaming that loud. Jefferson had her biting down on his scarf…but that could only do so much when Alice was in such incredible pain.

She watched the surrounding area more thoroughly than a guard, tail flicking. The Queen's patrols had been increasing, the pressure to find her and Alice intensifying after over a year without results. The Queen of Hearts hadn't let the incident slip her mind and Ches wondered exactly what the tyrant was after. All of this couldn't just be over a game of croquet…

And suddenly the screaming died off, turning into heavy breathing and light sobs. Ches relaxed some, head swiveling to and fro. The coast seemed clear, though. They had survived the afternoon and early evening with Alice's ordeal, and the screams hadn't called attention to their hideout.

A half hour later Jefferson emerged from the den they had made in the side of a hill, clothes still stained with blood. Poor guy… But Ches was their best look-out, so she had to be the one on guard. He collapsed beside her, grinning.

"It's a girl," he announced softly, hardly containing his excitement.

Ches smiled, "That's great. Healthy?"

"Far as we could tell. Came out blue but that went away after a bit." Ches met his shining eyes. "She's beautiful," he declared, which seemed like an exaggeration considering he had met the babe while it was covered in his wife's blood and mucus. But he was happy to be a daddy, and it was a celebration none of them had enjoyed since the honeymoon.

He nudged her shoulder with his, "Go. Alice wants you to see her," he urged. Ches didn't need further prompting.

She teleported herself into the den, creeping her way towards Alice's makeshift bed. Alice was cooing lightly to a bundle in her arms, eyes full of love. Ches knelt shyly next to the new mother.

"I didn't know how deep I could love until now," Alice declared, shifting the babe to give Ches a better look, "See? It's your Auntie Chessa. She came to meet you…"

"What's her name?" Ches asked.

Alice beamed, "Grace Chessa Liddell."

Ches's head snapped to stare at Alice, who only giggled.

"Don't act so surprised; you've been by my side ever since I came to Wonderland, and I'm sure you'll be by hers as well."

"Now the poor child has to live with your ridiculous name choice as much as I do," Ches teased, turning back to Grace.

Ches hadn't seen a ton of babies, but she was positive Grace was the cutest by far. Just the right amount of chub, with large brown eyes and pale pink lips. Alice held Grace out to Ches and the cat took her into her arms, holding her close. Ches swore her heart would blow up with love, this defenseless little girl at her breast. She held one of her tiny hands, mesmerized at how miniature it was and yet absolutely perfect. Ches's fingers curled around her tiny fist.

"Damn it."

"What, Ches?"

"She's not even an hour old and I freaking love her. Two minutes tops and I'm wrapped around these itty bitty fingers!" Alice giggled and Ches glared at her. "Why are you laughing? I'm serious! All three of us are in severe trouble. There's no way we'll be able to punish her when she's older! She is going to get away with murder and we'll be the three guardians responsible because we couldn't punish her when she did bad! Allie, the fact you're still laughing is concerning me…"

Wonderland lived up to its name again for a week, as they took turns caring for Grace. Ches felt less like a third wheel and more like the auntie she had been decreed. It was a small family of gypsies, moving around the realm and too busy with their newest member to notice any other feelings, like unresolved romantic issues. Ches was curled up in their den, fast asleep, when she was woken up by something acrid burning her nostrils. She sat up instantly alert, eyes opening to the sight of flames.

She yowled and glanced about, but Alice nor Jefferson were in sight. Grace was still in her makeshift cradle and Ches scooped her up, transporting them out of the den.

They were instantly surrounded by guards, yelling and thrusting spears or arrows at her. Ches curled around Grace, darting around the guards and making for the forest. She was just about to teleport them again when an arrow grazed her forearm and it felt like the magic had been sucked out of her. All she could do was run into the forests, dodging and weaving and working herself in so thick they couldn't possibly follow.

She didn't dare stop until they were completely alone, the only sounds coming from her or Grace. She sank down to her knees, examining her wound more carefully. It looked normal enough, not magic inflicted… She dabbed at the blood with her finger and sniffed it.

Silver… That deck of cards knew exactly what they were hunting.

As one arm held Grace, the other cleaned the cut, working the silver out of her system. Luckily it hadn't gone too deep and soon Ches felt her magic returning to her. She kissed the top of Grace's head reassuringly before teleporting to their agreed upon meet-up place if something such as this occured.

Alice and Jefferson were already at the pool and Alice spun around.

"Ches!" She exclaimed, both of them rushing towards her. Ches embraced her with one arm.

"She's fine," she quickly assured them, "Don't think she inhaled too much smoke."

She passed Grace to Jefferson, who quickly checked her over. He glanced at Ches, "You alright?"

"A little freaked, but otherwise okay," she sighed, "I'm just glad you two were gone."

"We went to go get breakfast," Alice explained, biting her lip, "We saw the den on fire…troops surrounding the area… We were so worried."

"Well, we made it out," Ches murmured, glancing between the two of them, "Did you at least get breakfast?"

The couple laughed tensely and Jefferson nodded to a basket not far off. There was something very grave in Alice's face, contemplative, but Ches figured she was just thinking about the fallout of the attack. The lackeys had finally tracked them down after all this time.

It was that night, as they found shelter in an abandoned cottage, that Alice finally spoke her mind.

"You need to leave Wonderland."

Jefferson and Ches looked up at Alice, not sure which of them she was talking to. Alice glanced up from her cup of tea to meet her husband's eyes.

"We can't go on like this, running and hiding. One day we will be caught…and I don't want you to lose your head."

"If I go then we all go," Jefferson said plainly, "The Queen doesn't even seem to know about me."

"Exactly…and I don't want you to be dragged down with us," Alice took a deep breath, "The hat can take two; we've made sure of this every trip since you started showing me the worlds. I want you to take our daughter back to your home… I want you and her to go back to the Enchanted Forest."

"No!" Jefferson refused immediately, "You're mad if you think I'll leave without you, either of you!"

"Jeff, be practical. We can't carry a baby around with us when we're trying to hide, and they don't care about your capture," she glanced around, "The best thing for us…for all of us, is for you to leave with Grace."

"And damn you to spend the rest of your life here?!"

"Not necessarily."

They both turned to Ches as she spoke, idly spinning her empty tea cup on the table. Ches took a deep breath.

"I…can travel between worlds," she admitted, "Hell that's how I got here in the first place. I'd need to work up my stamina to be able to take two, and gather the supplies I need but eventually… I could bring us back to the Enchanted Forest."

Jefferson stared at Ches, "But you'll…"

"Turn into a kid again, I know," she sighed, stilling the cup, "But Allie's right; running around with a baby, no matter how cute, is eventually going to get us caught. It's better to get the two that aren't on the poster to safety before they're added."

He turned his head back and forth, looking helplessly between them. But he knew that he wouldn't be able to change their minds.

The next day they gathered, fighting back tears as Jefferson prepared to leave. Grace was fast asleep in his arms, so innocent it made Ches glad she didn't have a clue what was going on. Alice went first with her goodbyes, hugging Jefferson tightly and burying her face in his shoulder.

"I'll miss you so much," she murmured, sniffing as she brought her head back up, "Even if it's only for a little while."

Jefferson nodded, "Only for a little while," he repeated, too stricken to say much else.

Alice leaned down, kissing the top of Grace's head, "And I will miss you, my precious daughter. Be good for your papa, alright?" Alice stepped back, wiping at her eyes.

Ches numbly approached Jefferson, embracing him.

"Keep both of you safe, alright?" He murmured.

"Course, Jeffy," she said, "And I'll get her back to you ASAP."

"How long is it going to take?"

Ches bowed her head, "…I don't know," she confessed.

Jefferson frowned, "…do it as soon as you can, then." Ches nodded, then looked down at Grace.

She wouldn't be the same, Ches knew, no matter how long it took. Kids grew in the blink of an eye and she'd miss watching her grow, even if it was only a few months out of her life. She smoothed Grace's brown hair, soft as Pegasus down.

"See you soon, kiddo," she murmured, then stepped back.

Jefferson took a deep breath, before taking the hat off of the top of his head. He spun it as he tossed it to the ground, creating that same purple vortex Alice and Ches had seen dozens of times. He glanced back as it grew, eyes watery.

"I love you two," he said.

"And we love you," Alice assured him.

Then, with a half-hearted jump, Jefferson and Grace disappeared from Wonderland. The purple magic went with them and soon, all there was left of him was a hat.

Alice slowly approached it, bending down to pick it up. She held it to her chest and started to sob. Ches knelt down beside her, rubbing her back.

"It's alright, Allie… We'll be with them again soon," she said, unable to keep herself from crying along with Alice.

Years passed, the pair of them trying to both avoid the Queen of Hearts' forces and find the necessary ingredients for Ches to be able to take them to the Enchanted Forest. They refused to give up hope, even when it seemed like Ches would never gain the power to take two through the vastness of time and space. If it got to be too much they grieved together, curled side by side wherever they managed to find somewhere to sleep.

It was all well and good until a woman from their lands decided that 100,000 gold pieces was worth more than a pair of comrades, and informed the Queen of Hearts of their whereabouts.

**III**

"Oh my gosh, are you serious?!"

"Dead serious! This tiny blonde chick was the one who kept breaking into their house, eating their food and messing up their beds! They were so pissed!"

The other patrons of Granny's only spared the occasional glance at the two girls in the booth, assuming that they were just two average friends sharing fries and sipping on milkshakes. Even those who recognized Katja only thought it was nice that the insufferable "Kit" actually had someone to hang out with.

Katja was just glad to be reunited with Grace, even though she was ten years older than the last time she had seen her and not nearly as portable. She could see bits of Alice and Jefferson in their child, and it made her heart ache even as she was glad. Shestirred the foamy remnants of her shake, having to ask but feeling shy about it all the same.

"How's your dad?"

Grace glanced up, frowning, "What do you mean?"

"Like, how is he doing?" She enunciated, stabbing the glass with her straw, "I saw him…once during the curse, towards the end, but other than that…"

"You mean he's here? In Storybrooke?" Grace's face lit up.

Katja stared, "…where the hell have you been staying if it's not with him?"

"Neighbors from our old land," she said dismissively, "My papa and I were…separated. By the Queen."

Evil bitch… Katja pushed the empty glass aside.

"Come on, then. He's probably worried sick about you."

"You know where he lives?" Grace asked incredulously.

"Yeah." Perhaps her Kit personality had gone a little overboard with her crush on Jefferson… It wasn't stalking if she only checked out his place once, right?

Granny spotted the two heading for the door and opened her mouth, but Katja cut her off.

"Just put it on Gold's tab!"

Granny frowned thoughtfully, then shrugged. It worked for her.

Grace was only mildly surprised as Katja took her by the wrist, but the girl's next words concerned her.

"I don't typically do this on a first date, but you're just going to have to trust me. Don't worry, you're not going to get split in two or something; I'm a professional."

Before Grace could question what Katja was talking about, there was a sickening lurch and then suddenly they were standing in front of a large mansion. Grace stared at Katja, who merely shrugged.

"Werecats do cool tricks," she rang the doorbell.

Grace took a deep breath, the anticipation hardly having time to build. Dull footsteps came from inside, making their way closer to the door. She tried to peer inside, get a good look at who was coming, but the door was open before she did.

And there he was. His hair was shorter, spiked up, and his clothes were more kempt, but it was him. He stared down at her in disbelief and she beamed, throwing her arms around him.

"Papa!"

"Grace…" He breathed.

His arms wrapped tightly around her as he seemed to sink under the weight of her affections, closing his eyes and simply drowning in the fact he had his daughter back.

After a few moments Grace turned around, "Katja-"

But the girl she had met today was nowhere to be seen.

Was it the cowardly thing to do, disappearing before Jefferson came to the door? Absolutely, Katja was a big enough girl to admit that. But she didn't want a huge scene in front of Grace…or any scene. It was still hard to face him after all these years.

She didn't feel like going home right away, so she stopped by the Rabbit Hole for a few beers. The bartender didn't card her, which was great because she didn't feel like explaining how she was indeed of age by her race's standards. Though with the continuing threats of chaos overtaking the town selling alcohol to minors didn't seem like a big deal. She went home with a buzz, intending to get drunk in the privacy of the house she took as payment for helping out with Mary Margaret's case.

It was a large house, white with roman pillars on the porch and two balconies, one in the front and another overlooking the lake. After the storm she had thankfully been staying with the Golds during, she realized she needed at least one permanent roof to hide under if the weather got soggy. Tonight she felt a little more domestic than wild, so indoors it was.

She flicked the lights on to the hardly-furnished living room, save for the fully-functional bar that was off to one side. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw someone was sitting on the futon couch.

He sighed, looking unamused but not homicidal, "Hello Ches."

Katja leaned against the doorframe, "…hey Jeffy."

**III**

"You know I don't make a habit of working with the Queen of Hearts," Jack remarked, "But the chance to bag a werecat? Too good to pass up."

Ches glared at the woman gloating, surrounded by the Queen of Hearts' forces. Alice had a blade pressed to her throat, keeping both of them from fleeing. It had been stupid to accept a stranger's offer to spend the night in the cabin, but Alice had been so tired of sleeping on the grass or in trees. She should have known…should have been stronger and not given in to the promise of a place to rest. And now the woman who had seemed so kind and generous last night was taunting her.

Her lips curled back as she growled.

"None of that," Jack scolded and the blade pressed deeper into Alice's skin.

Ches was forced to stay still as they put a silver collar around her neck, rendering her magic-less…but not defenseless. She waited until the lackeys pulled away before lunging forward, snarling and knocking Jack against the wall. Ches relished the fear in her eyes, the unmistakable stench of it coming from her, even as four men pulled her off of the supposed huntress.

Jack straightened, brushing herself off and turning to Alice, "I'm sorry you got tangled up with the likes of her… Sometimes it's hard to realize that they're monsters when they look so human."

Alice glared at Jack, "And sometimes the monsters turn out to be human."

They were loaded into two separate cages on two separate carts, and Ches spent the majority of the journey pacing… Kind of like a wild animal. Guess she wasn't helping her case. It was a few days to the Court of Hearts, and their hosts barely remembered to give them food or water. Ches didn't mind so much but looking at Alice's pained expression…that was unbearable.

When they arrived at the palace, they were taken out of their cages and cuffed, and Ches noticed just how fast the mouse of a huntress Jack had scurried off. The lackeys then marched them into the palace, to a room that was as white as bleached bone. There was a long table off to the left, a sort of throne, and then what looked like the guilty party's chair. Ches was forced to sit in that chair, chained to it, while Alice remained standing, the guards surrounding her.

"Leave us," A new voice commanded from somewhere behind Ches. The guards didn't hesitate before abandoning Alice and vacating the room.

Alice and Ches exchanged a worried look. It seemed the Queen had arrived.

A small woman stepped into Ches's view, made to look much bigger with her ostentatious gown of pure white and ruby red. Long dark curls were piled on top of her head, dark beady eyes examining her. She smirked.

"So, I finally caught you… Cheshire Cat," she murmured, looking smugger than any person ought to.

Ches's claws dug into the arms of the chair, "All this over one croquet game?" She faked incredulity.

The Queen of Hearts laughed softly, "No, this isn't about your childish antics in a queen's court, or else your head would be off your shoulders. That stunt just alerted me to your presence in my queendom," Her eyes scanned over Ches's body, "A werecat in Wonderland… What a pleasant happenstance, considering they're only native to the Enchanted Forest."

"I thought you better than a trophy hunter," Ches said honestly.

The Queen of Hearts grinned, "Trust me, if I wanted you dead then you would be."

"Then what do you want?"

She clasped her hands in front of her demurely, "There's the curiosity," she cooed, striding a little closer, "I have been told that your kind are realm jumpers. I just so happen to need to go to another realm…your home world, in fact."

"Why?"

The Queen of Hearts smirked, "I don't need to give you a reason; I just need for you to do it."

"I was ten, it was once, and it was only me. What makes you think I can do it again?" She asked.

"Your motivation will be greater."

Her Majesty went over to Alice and Ches felt her stomach drop. Alice met the Queen of Hearts' gaze steadily, a bravado Ches couldn't even imagine having on her features.

"Alice, right?" She inquired. Alice gave a stiff nod. "Some advice, sweetheart. Don't go running around with powerful magic users…you'll end up a weakness."

Fast as her own reflexes, the Queen of Hearts shoved her hand inside of Alice's chest.

"ALICE!" Ches screamed.

Alice's face was frozen in an "oh", her eyes wide with pain. With a sickeningly wet squelch the Queen of Hearts pulled her hand back out, something glowing, red, and beating in her hand.

She showed it to Ches, who couldn't breathe, "I trust that you will do your best now that your friend's life is at risk?"

To demonstrate her point, she squeezed the heart. Alice fell to her knees, clutching at her breast and gasping.

"I'll do it! I'll do it just stop it!" Ches shrieked.

The Queen of Hearts' grip relaxed and Alice's shoulders sank in relief, "Good," she gestured towards the table, "I should have all of the ingredients that you need… Even the ones that you and Alice have failed to gather."

Ches stared at her friend's heart, resting in the palm of their enemy's hand. For all it mattered it might as well have been her heart on the line. She was starting to realize how big of a weakness love could be.

The days fell into a predictable pattern. She and Alice spent the nights in the dungeon, a thick wall between them and just enough food and water to sustain themselves. They were brought up in the morning, Alice standing beside the Queen of Hearts while Ches worked. Depending on how much Ches could do, they could be up there for a couple of hours or the entire day. When Ches could move no further on the preparation, they were cast back into the dungeon. The only time Ches was allowed to be free of her collar was during her work, and even then the Queen of Hearts and Alice were behind a barrier. A barrier she could easily break down, but not fast enough to save Alice if her heart was crushed.

The afternoon was passing, heading towards the evening. Ches stared blankly at the wall; the Queen of Hearts had given her today to rest, since the spell required the full moon in order to be cast. Sleep wasn't an option, not with the thoughts plaguing her. Such as if the Queen would keep her word…and what would happen to Alice? It would be hard enough trying to take two through the ether to the correct world…she couldn't possibly bring Alice with her too. Would she be trapped behind in Wonderland until she could find Jefferson and give him his hat back?

"You have to let her kill me."

Ches's head turned towards the wall, pretty sure she hadn't heard Alice right, "What are you talking about? There's no way I'm going to let you die."

"You have to, Chessa…" Alice's voice was rough, and Ches couldn't tell if it was from thirst or emotion, "Whatever reason she has for going to yours and Jefferson's world, it can't be good. I don't want to live with a guilty conscious knowing I was the reason you helped her."

"Alice-"

"Ches please," This time she was certain it was from emotion, and she could practically see the tears streaming down her old friend's face, "I am not afraid of death… I am afraid of my daughter growing up without parents. I am afraid that, no matter what Jefferson assures her, Grace will think I abandoned her… That I did not love her. I need you to protest that. I need you to be there for her the way you were there for me when I came to this land. I need you to be her auntie, her surrogate mother."

Ches closed her eyes, body jerking as she sobbed her protest, "I can't…I can't…"

"I know you can!" Alice wept, "You have to! For me, and Jefferson, and Grace!"

"How could I ever look at him again knowing I let his wife die?!"

"Because you chose the greater good!"

There was no more room for words. Ches covered her ears, burying her face in her drawn-up knees, as if that would drive away Alice's request. She could not see what Alice saw, that the need was so great that she'd have to die to keep the Queen of Hearts from crossing over. But if Alice felt their family was in danger…

They were brought up once the moon had risen and the sun had disappeared completely. The Queen of Hearts watched with cautious hopefulness, Ches setting the mixtures out into the direct light of the full moon. The large bowl of liquid that Ches dubbed "holy water" shimmered, going from half-transparent to a milky silver. The ground up powder became less fine, going so far as clumping in some sections. All good signs.

She took a deep breath, dipping her claws into the liquid. She channeled her magic towards the very tips of her fingers, then made a very distinct pattern, Rump's voice echoing softly as if it were just practice all over again.

The scratch marks of holy water hung in midair for a few moments, then bled, thicker and thicker. Ches quickly gathered a handful of the powder, imagining the destination as she tossed it methodically, covering the holy water. The powder dissolved and the liquid formed a large oval that rippled like water. A portal.

The Queen of Hearts smiled, "Well done," she praised, taking a step forward. She found she could move no closer and her good mood vanished.

Ches glanced back, eyes glossy, "…I'm sorry, Allie," she murmured.

The Queen of Hearts tried to repel the reversed barrier, but it was too strong.

Alice nodded softly, "It's alright, Ches… It has to happen this way."

The Queen of Hearts brandished Alice's heart, "Take it down! Take the barrier down or she dies!"

Ches shook her head softly, taking a step back. It felt as though she had lost a foot, having it stuck inside of the portal.

Alice took a deep breath, straightening with that ever-present courage, "Love them for me," she murmured.

"You will not defy me! You will take me with you!"

Ches sank back, her entire leg in the void. She nodded to Alice, mouthing softly "I promise".

The portal started to lap at Ches, drawing her in. The edges were already moving inwards, and even if the Queen of Hearts ran it was doubtful she'd make it in time.

"NO!" Her hand clenched into a fist, ash trickling through the cracks of her fingers.

Ches was helpless to watch Alice's body go still, and then fall to the ground.

"Alice…" A wounded mewl.

And then the ether swallowed Ches whole, and there was nothing.

**III**

"I've been contemplating things that start with the letter "m" while I waited for you," Jefferson informed Katja, crossing his legs and leaning back in the seat, "Malice. Murder. Mystery. Mistakes."

"Marriage maliciously memorialized?" Katja guessed.

"Mostly."

Katja took a deep breath, digging her hands into her pockets and scuffing the toe of her boot against the ground, "…are you mad at me?"

"I'm mad at your actions," he said, as if there was a difference, "For showing up on my doorstep all those years ago only to say that Alice was dead. No explanation, no sticking around to see how we've been in your absence."

"I figured you didn't want to see me."

"Why? Because you think you're the reason she's dead? I wouldn't know, you didn't give me any details," he cradled something in his hands, passing it between them slowly, "Unless you're the one who tore her throat out, or cut off her head, or hung her, or whatever that tyrant did to her then you did not kill Alice."

"I might as well have for all the good I did," Katja protested.

"Then I should be blaming myself too…for all the good _I_ did in saving her," he glanced up at Katja, hands stilling, "And then Grace shows up on my doorstep saying you brought her back to me, but you couldn't even face me after the way you abandoned us."

Katja scoffed, shaking her head, "You wouldn't want to talk to me."

"You wouldn't know because you never stayed to find out." His hands clenched tightly over the thing in his hands, jaw set, "You're a coward, Ches. No matter how you skirt around an issue that will never change."

She saw the porcelain peek out of his fingers and knew exactly what he was holding.

"Put it down, Jefferson!" She snapped, "Where did you find that?!"

"It was sitting right here," he insisted, placing it on the arm of the futon.

It was little more than the broken-off spout of a teapot, the porcelain slightly cracked but still as brilliantly white as ever. Jefferson met her eyes.

"Now why would you keep a broken piece of a tea set?" He asked dryly.

Katja folded her arms tightly, "What do you want me to say, huh? You want me to admit I never got over you? That I stole a keepsake of that one glorious night we had together knowing that nothing could replace the way I felt about you, that I knew it would never happen again?!"

Jefferson rose to his feet, crossing the distance between them. He reached out, but Katja stubbornly swept his arm away.

"Don't touch me," she muttered.

"Ches…"

Katja snorted, "You don't even know my real name."

"I do," he said calmly, "But I can't stop calling you Ches. It's what Alice named you. It's who I knew for all those years. It's who I fell in love with."

She shrugged helplessly, "I'm fifteen now."

"Twenty-two," Jefferson corrected.

"Hardly four years older than Grace."

"Eleven."

"No one cares about my actual age! All they see is some teenager and a grown man with a daughter nearly her age."

His eyes narrowed, "And since when have you ever cared about what other people think, huh?"

"Ever since it was illegal!" She exclaimed.

Jefferson snorted, "Don't you think they have bigger issues to deal with than someone who's a girl merely in body?"

"I'm not taking that chance."

"You've _never_ taken that chance when it comes to me," he pointed out bitterly. He brushed past her, making his way to the door, "I'm sick of being second place to whatever excuse you come up with to keep me away."

Katja tensed as he walked away, wincing as he slammed the door behind him. She sighed, going over to her personal bar. She'd need a lot more booze to deal with this.

**III**

Ches fell to her knees shrieking and wailing, not caring who heard her now. Her arms wrapped around her stomach and chest as though trying to hold herself together, rocking back and forth and flashing her fangs as if threatened. Pain like this hadn't racked her body in years and she hardly took notice of her lack of breasts, or how she had shrunk a few inches and lost the small flare of her hips.

She kept screaming and sobbing because there was no one to hide from in this world. The Queen of Hearts could no longer get to her. And Alice was dead.

She curled up on her side when she became too exhausted to continue, staring blankly at the surrounding forest. A night passed without her noticing and by morning, she could sit up. She was hungry and thirsty, but that paled in comparison to the scent she found near a cleared patch of mushrooms.

Jefferson had been there.

Ches tracked him faster than a bloodhound, moving through the forest with terrifying purpose. She had to see him, had to see Grace, had to see that they hadn't slipped away along with Alice. And, she supposed, she should tell him the news.

The scent led her to a cozy cottage, a little run down but not such a bad place considering the campsites they had pitched over the years. She could see him through the window, hair longer, disposition calmer… But still undoubtedly Jefferson. She didn't let herself think before knocking at the door.

A short time later it opened and Ches's throat tightened as he took her in, astonished.

"Ches…" He moved to embrace her.

She stepped back and he stared, confused. He then glanced around.

"Where's Alice?"

Ches swallowed roughly, "…the Queen of Hearts found us."

Jefferson went still.

She had no more tears to give, but her body sure tried, "I tried, Jeffy… I tried to protect her. But I let her die."

Jefferson's lips slightly parted, but nothing came out. Ches shook her head helplessly, "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry."

"Papa?"

Ches heard the small voice and knew who it had to be. Alice's daughter, now motherless. Because Ches had let her die. It was too much, and she vanished.

Jefferson glanced around but she was nowhere to be seen.

Grace held onto her father's pantsleg, tilting her head, "Who was here, Papa?"

He pulled away from her, storming out into the front yard, "Ches! CHES!"

But she wasn't playing a game. She was gone, and she wasn't coming back. Apparently just like Alice.

**III**

If there was one thing twenty-eight years of madness had graced him with, it was time. Time to learn. Time to think. Time to wait for something to happen. His fingers moved across the ivories with scarcely a thought, playing a piece he had long ago memorized. The music soothed him, but couldn't quite drive away his pain.

He didn't even glance over as someone appeared on the bench beside him, continuing the melody.

"You know, it's polite to knock at the door instead of just letting yourself in," Jefferson reprimanded.

"I didn't think you'd answer once you saw who it was," Katja said honestly.

"I might not have," he admitted.

The song tapered off and his hands rested on the keyboard. Katja took a deep breath.

"You're right, though. I am a coward. I have been since the first time I died," he glanced at her, slightly shocked, and she smirked, "There's a lot you don't know about me."

She hunched her shoulders, staring down at his hands, "True love's really dangerous; I watched my mother die because of it. But…there's really no point of living if you play it safe. People spend their entire lives looking for their one true romantic love; it'd be a shame if I wasted the fact that I found mine."

Jefferson tentatively smiled and Katja shyly reached out her hand, setting it on top of his.

"Will you wait for me, Jeffy? Until I'm eighteen? I mean, we don't even know how Grace would react…"

His expression was stern, "I waited years for you and Alice to come back…years trying to find my way home to Grace from Wonderland…and then twenty-eight waiting to see if my daughter would ever wake up from Regina's nightmare. A couple more isn't going to kill me," he raised his eyebrows, "Though it's going to feel that way."

Katja grinned, cocking her head, "Feels like fate wanted to give us a second chance, huh?"

Jefferson sighed and rolled his eyes, "You're mad," he insisted.

"Only as mad as you are," she retorted.

He slid down the bench, trying to push her off of it. She giggled and pushed right back, and soon both of them were trying to get the other off the end of the wooden bench, laughing and playing just like they used to before the tea party.

**III**

Belle stood outside of the village, staring out over the water that surrounded the peninsula. She couldn't calm down, not after what Lancelot had insinuated, nor could she make herself approach the pit where Cora was supposedly being held to see if it really was her.

There were two very disturbing implications to what Lancelot said. One was that Rumplestiltskin, her faithful husband, who had vowed to be honest with her in all matters, had bold-faced lied to her. The second was that one of the most powerful dark magicians in the realm was still alive, one that may or may not have a bone to pick with Rumplestiltskin. It was as though a sleeping dragon had woken up, within range and possibly able to breathe fire.

She heard footsteps coming from behind, and knew who it had to be.

"Lancelot found an available hut to house us for the night," Sure enough, it was Mary Margaret's voice calling out to her. A hand rested on her arm, "…are you alright?"

Belle shook her head.

"…do you want to talk about it?"

Belle shook her head again.

"Alright…if you change your mind…"

"I'll talk to you," she murmured, turning to face Mary Margaret. She smiled, grateful for her old friend's support, even if she wished the former princess hadn't of jumped in after her. Mary Margaret rubbed her arm comfortingly before they started back inside.

"I am kind of curious about this mysterious _plan_ you have," Belle admitted teasingly.

Mary Margaret shrugged, "I don't know if it's even a plan…it's an idea I'm hoping you can do something with," she glanced at Belle, "…Emma's wardrobe."

Belle's pace slowed, nearly stopping as she considered, "It's not impossible… And it's not like we have much else to go on." She glanced at Mary Margaret, "We can try."

The hut didn't allow for much privacy, a single room with two beds on opposite sides of it. Emma wordlessly took a seat beside Mary Margaret on one.

"You don't mind, right?" Emma asked, regarding Mary Margaret's astonished expression.

"No, no of course not," she stuttered, trying to hide her smile at such a simple gesture.

Emma tried to act like it was no big deal; it wasn't the first time they'd shared a bed for a night, and they'd been living together for months now. There was just the added factor that it was Snow White she had been rooming with…along with her being her mother. Did that make her a princess? Damn that made her a princess, didn't it? Like she knew the first thing about being one…

Belle sat on her cot, back to the pair as they put out the candles and crawled under the blankets, trying to not be awkward with each other. She stared down at the two rings on her left hand, the deposit and then the promise itself. She bowed her head and pressed the rings to her lips, careful to keep her crying as quiet as possible.

_I need you so much right now, Rum,_ she thought. _I am terrified that Lancelot is right and that you were wrong… I don't know how to get back to you; I just know that I have to. But I promise I'll find my way home; just don't give up on looking for Bae._

Worlds away, Mr. Gold finished laying out the blankets on the couch, unable to face their bedroom alone. The cat studied him from Belle's reading chair, the furball shadowing him all over the house now that his mistress was absent. Mr. Gold sank down onto his new bed, sighing.

"She better get back here soon," he muttered, setting his cane against the coffee table, "She knows I can't sleep well without her."

It was meant to be irritated, dark humor. But it just came out pathetic. Yellow eyes seemed to hang on to every word, legs tucked up underneath his body as if he were just a body, a tail, and a head. Mr. Gold reached back and flicked off the light.

"We have things to do," he continued to protest, "She can't just go running off on a field trip to our homeland right before we embark to go track down my son. I mean I know she's nervous, but this is a little overboard."

He was aware of the way his voice cracked, of the painful hook caught in his throat. He stared down at his wedding ring while he played with it, breaking down at the sight of a little gold and what it signified.

"…please come home, Belle… I can't find Bae without you… I can't go looking for our son without you."

**IIIII**

Well that was a behemoth of a chapter. Like, I knew it was going to be long but dear goodness... Now that that's out of my system, the Rumbelle will return to proper levels until chapter seven.

I also have a greater respect for continuity errors. I mean, ideas change, and where you end up may be different from where you thought you were going to start. And sometimes the story you want to tell doesn't give a frick if it makes sense or matches up or not; it just begs to be told.

Sneak peek: The Trio of Awesome goes to storm the (mostly dilapidated) castle. Mr. Gold is a cranky old cat man. And once upon a time, Belle kissed a girl…and she can't exactly say she didn't like it.


	3. Lady of the Lake

Disclaimer: As you can probably tell from the fact I'm writing fanfiction, I don't own Once Upon a Time or any of its characters.

"Belle you are the worst co-pilot in the world," Mr. Gold declared.

Belle glanced up from the novelization of "Inception", "What? We're driving on the freeway; I don't have to direct you anywhere."

"We're almost to New York City and I've been asking you which exit we have to take for the past five minutes."

"But we're not going to New York City."

He sighed, "Belle, we've been over this; New York City is where Bae is."

"According to your globe thingy. But this," she stretched her foot and lazily tapped the dream-catcher hanging from the rearview mirror, "Says he's in Tallahassee."

"Says his _heart_ is in Tallahassee," Mr. Gold corrected, "Which means _he_ may or may not be."

Belle grumbled incoherently and slouched in the passenger's seat. Even while aggravated she was beautiful, bare feet and denim-clad legs resting on the dashboard. Her curls fell around her face angelically, the sunlight catching them so it looked like they had strands of gold in them. She glanced at him.

"Stop staring at me and pay attention to where you're going," she chastised playfully.

"The cars will veer out of the way if they know what's good for them," he insisted.

"Out of the way of a little yellow bug?" She scoffed.

He glanced down at the radio, "Why do you get to pick the music, anyway? You're busy reading."

"I can read and listen at the same time," she informed him.

"You cannot," he protested, "And anyways I am not listening to Taylor Swift the entire trip."

"Course not, honey. We can switch to Adele once we get to West Virginia."

"We are not going to Tallahassee, and I'm not listening to this misandristic musical genre traitor- Don't change it yet, I like this song."

Belle's hand hovered over the mode button, then retracted. She rolled her eyes and turned back to her book, but Mr. Gold wasn't done having her attention yet.

"She. Wears. High. Heels. I. Wear. Sneeeea-kers."

Belle burst out laughing at her husband's butchering imitation of Taylor Swift. He only grew more obnoxious once he realized how much it amused her.

"She's. Cheer. Cap'in. And. I'm. On-the. Bleeeea-chers. Ladadadada- CAN'T YOU SEE THAT YOU BELONG WITH MEEEEEEE, YOU BELONG WITH-"

His solo was cut off by Belle's lips on his and his hands dropped from the wheel. She clamored onto his lap and he reclined the seat a bit, getting a good grip on her hair as she straddled him. He immersed himself in her, her taste, her smell, her touch.

"Rumple…" She moaned, then pulled away, tears springing to her eyes, "Rum…"

Mr. Gold bolted upright, head twisting and turning in confusion. He wasn't in a car; he was on the couch in his house. There was no Belle to tease about her music preferences, or to make laugh, or even to simply watch her read. Mr. Gold curled in around himself, feeling as though if he didn't physically hold himself together he would fall apart.

Sobbing over a dream was not a very good way to start the day.

**II**

Emma woke in the disorienting haze of a traveler, a feeling she had never gotten over no matter how many years she spent as a vagabond. She thought she was back in Mary Margaret's apartment, ready to rise to another day of being sheriff… But when she opened her eyes it was to a thatched roof and a thick wool blanket that still smelled like sheep.

"Morning."

She glanced over to see Mary Margaret easing herself back down onto the cot. Mary Margaret winced.

"I didn't wake you up, did I?"

"Nah, I woke up on my own," she propped herself up onto her elbows, "What about you? You ever get to sleep?"

Mary Margaret shook her head, quiet for a moment before changing the subject, "I got us breakfast."

Emma raised an eyebrow trepidatiously, "What is it, unicorn?"

"Don't be barbaric, Emma," Mary Margaret scolded softly, before setting a bowl down between them, made up of what looked like dried fruit and stale bread lumps, "You don't happen to know where Belle ran off to, do you?"

The blonde shook her head, "Off to go make a cripple walk or a blind girl see?" She guessed. Mary Margaret rolled her eyes.

"There's nothing wrong with wanting to help them out a bit, after feeding us and letting us spend a night in their shelter."

"I'm just saying the woman who's apparently big and scary to you guys doesn't seem to be big and scary that often. Just when she has to be."

Mary Margaret grinned, "Welcome to the politics of the Caretaker."

The curtain was pulled aside and Belle's head popped through. She saw Emma and Mary Margaret and grinned.

"I found weapons," she said cheerily.

She came through carrying a long box that, if her waddling was any indication, was a little heavy. She set it down with a huff nearby.

"I didn't know what you two wanted," she explained, "Bows and quivers were a given, but I wasn't sure about the blades. Emma, did you like your father's sword?"

No, she liked her gun. Her gun was her weapon. She knew how to use a gun, very very well. Guns beat swords, everyone knew that.

"It was alright," she said and Belle shrugged, sitting down on the cot.

"Maybe you'll find one that suits you better."

Mary Margaret offered the bowl to Belle and she accepted some bread and a few pieces of something vaguely apricot-y.

"Did you sleep any?" Mary Margaret asked her.

Belle shook her head, "A little, but I had the weirdest dream about Rumple singing Taylor Swift and driving Emma's car…" She quickly moved on, "Lancelot had a map and helped me find the best way to the castle. If we keep pace it should only take us a couple of days at most. You're probably familiar with it, Snow, it follows the Narcissus river most of the way."

"Yeah, that's a really good route," Mary Margaret beamed at Lancelot's wisdom, "Pretty level, plenty of fresh water and food… It'll be like a hike."

Emma had never been much of a nature girl, but if it got her back to Henry she could put up with bites, itches and going behind a bush for a few nights.

They finished breakfast and picked their weapons. Emma took a sword that she thought was pretty good; felt easy to swing, and she figured that was important. She also chose a bow with some arrows because it was kind of like an advanced slingshot, or a medieval gun. Mary Margaret had similar choices, while Belle selected two hand weapons, a thinner lighter sword and a smaller curved blade. They gathered what few belongings they had as well as the supplies Belle had been given, and made their way out of the hut.

Mulan and Lancelot waited by the sentry's post, and he went to embrace Mary Margaret.

"Stay safe, old friend," he wished warmly.

"You too," Mary Margaret murmured, "I'm happy to see you again, even if it was for only a short while."

"I'm sure this won't be our last meeting," he said prophetically.

Mulan stormed up to Belle, frowning, "You have to let me come with you," she insisted, "I know this land with all of its increased dangers. Even if you do hold the power of the Dark One, you'll need a guide."

"We'll be fine, Mulan," Belle assured her, "We know the way, and between the three of us we can face whatever challenges get between us and home."

Her face clouded with frustration and Belle stepped closer, lowering her voice.

"I know the situation with Philip is difficult, but running away from your feelings won't help matters."

Mulan stared at her, "What- How do you-"

"It's a little obvious," Belle said sympathetically, wincing at her friend's discomfort. She squeezed Mulan's arm lightly, "The pain will pass, and you'll have your own love to fight for some day." She pulled away, leaving Mulan shell-shocked.

With a few more farewells, the trio embarked on their journey to a familiar place, a place that had once been home to Snow and baby Emma.

**IIII**

"Alright, dear, I'm off," Belle announced, an eager bounce in her step as she moved through the grand hall.

"Try not to die," Rumplestiltskin mumbled offhandedly and Belle stopped, glancing over at the spinning wheel.

As she figured, he hadn't even slowed down his work. She sighed, making a detour over to him and bending down. His hand hovered but did not turn the wheel again, the straw in his hand remaining straw. Bit by bit he was drawn back out to reality and Belle patiently waited, just as he did whenever he abruptly pulled her out of a book. He finally met her eyes.

"I'm going to Lake Nostos to get that water you wanted; I shouldn't be gone long," she elaborated.

"Mmm, my words still stand, then."

She planted her hands on either of his thighs.

"Kiss me good luck?" She asked. Rumplestiltskin grinned, and he leaned it to kiss her cheek.

She turned at the last moment before contact and caught the faintest feel of slightly chapped but surprisingly soft lips on her own before Rumplestiltskin jerked back. He glared at her.

"Belle…" He said admonishingly.

"I wasn't even technically kissing you!" She whined in dismay.

And yet there was the pink stealing out from the green and the gold, a glimpse at a humanity she might never see in its fullness. He unconsciously wiped at his mouth and hurt flared in Belle's chest.

"You know I would if I could," he insisted softly, "But I can't. Not right now."

"Being the most powerful sorcerer in all the realms, you'd think you would have _some_ solution to true love's kiss," she muttered.

He lifted one shoulder, "You'd think, but true love _is_ the most powerful magic of all," he turned away from his wheel, "Dearie you know I've tried."

"Not particularly hard," she grumbled. He scowled. "I mean, as long as you get to kiss me you don't seem to care, because _you_ can kiss me all over my body save my lips. I can't kiss _any_ part of you."

"Belle we've been over this," he said tiredly, "It's because you're the curse breaker and I am the cursed. True love's kiss won't break a curse if there's no curse to be broken, but if there is-"

"I just think if you put an _ounce_ of the effort you invest into the grand scheme into finding a way to properly kiss your wife you would have found an answer by now!"

Rumplestiltskin's eyes blazed with a sudden intense heat and Belle knew she had just hit a nerve. She folded her arms and arched an eyebrow in challenge. Apparently she wasn't going anywhere quite yet.

**III**

No one noticed how much of an impact Belle's presence had on the town until she was gone, David pondered as he made his way towards the pawnshop. It seemed as though without her to balance him out Mr. Gold was reverting into whatever monster he had been before. It had been two, maybe three days and already he was terrorizing Storybrooke with a spitefulness that predated his engagement to Belle. Rumplestiltskin hadn't exactly been a docile lamb before, but now David feared for the lives of the entire population instead of just a small segment.

"Gold, we need to talk," David insisted as he came through the door.

Mr. Gold appeared through the back room's curtain, sizing the man up.

"I wasn't aware that the position of sheriff was decided via bloodline… Or perhaps everything will go back to the familial transfers that governed our old world," he commented sourly.

David didn't bother justifying his decision to Rumplestiltskin, a man who clearly preferred anarchy to any other kind of "-archy", "Sidney told me you turned someone into a monkey."

"He was screeching like one."

"Because his girlfriend was kicked out of her apartment."

"I'm pretty sure Bengal tigers aren't suitable residential pets, even if they do double as a body guard," Mr. Gold shrugged, "Well if Sidney is reunited with his old master, why can't he simply change him back?"

"Because apparently genie magic is limited to their lamp," David said tiredly, glaring at Mr. Gold, "…which you have."

Mr. Gold smirked, "Oh…right."

"And besides that you've been making veiled threats to Regina…"

"Nothing veiled about what I threatened."

"And you took Moe French's tongue."

"He can have it back when he stops yelling at me for Belle's accidental departure."

"And when a kid's ball came rolling towards you you purposefully kicked it farther away and then kept walking."

Mr. Gold appeared to at least be remorseful over that last grievance, "…I've been having a bad day."

"So has everyone," David groused, approaching the counter and leaning on his arms.

A head popped up out of a nearby cauldron, swiveling to examine David through narrowed eyes. It gave a low grumble of disapproval, obviously awoken from its afternoon nap. David sighed, sweeping a hand towards the cauldron.

"And who the hell is this?"

Mr. Gold glanced at the cat, "…Figaro?"

"And who's Figaro? Someone who forgot to pay a debt? A perceived threat? A boy who just looked at you the wrong way?"

"No, it's Belle's cat."

"You turned someone into a _cat_ for your _wife_?"

"No, he's just a normal cat," Mr. Gold insisted defensively, "He's always been a cat."

Figaro huffed irritably before his head disappeared back inside of the cauldron, attempting to sleep while the confrontation continued. David shook off the accusation; he wouldn't put it past Rumplestiltskin to turn someone into an animal just because they crossed his path. His voice softened towards the pawnbroker.

"I think I have an idea about how to get our wives and my daughter back."

Mr. Gold sneered, "Oh do tell," he muttered.

David tossed the item he had been holding onto the counter; the hat that had taken their loved ones away from them in the first place.

"You have magic," he stated, "You could make it work. We could go and get them, bring them home…"

Mr. Gold stared at the battered top hat, but there was no devious smile, no glint in his eye that reassured David that what he had recovered was the key to a reunion. He shook his head.

"Laws of the hat wouldn't allow it," he said bitterly, "Same number in as out. Even if we found a way around that, there's no guarantee we could make it back to Storybrooke. One town with magic would not be enough to make a door to this world." He pushed the hat away, as if the very sight of it made him nauseous.

David unconsciously picked it up again, a fist tightening around the brim, "There's got to be another way," he insisted.

Mr. Gold laughed dryly, "Dearie, I've spent lifetimes trying to get to a land without magic. A round trip would be near impossible."

"So you're giving up on them?" David growled.

He smirked, "Call it what you like. I have other priorities."

"Above getting Belle back?!"

He paused for the breadth of a heartbeat, "…yes."

David stared disbelievingly at Mr. Gold, unable to comprehend what priority would come before his own wife, a wife he had broken down at the loss of. What could possibly tie him so concretely to a land, without magic, that he'd refuse to even try and find a way to bring Belle back?

"Has anyone tried to cross the town line yet?" Mr. Gold inquired suddenly.

The question threw David off, "Yeah, the dwarves investigated it."

"And?"

"And Sneezy's convinced he's Tom Clark," David furrowed his brow, "You don't happen to have any memory returning potions, do you? Blue didn't seem to have an answer."

Mr. Gold stared at him, his face expressionless and his body still, "…I see."

Internally, he was screaming. Not only could he not go after Belle for fear of not being able to return… But he couldn't even go after Baelfire without the fear of losing his memories.

**II**

Emma trailed behind Mary Margaret and Belle as they journeyed through the woods. Not because the hike was too much, hell no. Wasn't even because they knew what they were doing and where they were going. Emma was just so used to observing, and the pair of them made an interesting match.

The two women who only had a few conversations together in Emma's knowledge were yakking it up like old friends, following the trail and not seeming too concerned about getting lost or attacked. Far as Emma could tell they were catching up since the last time they saw each other…and weren't cursed.

"So everything since Emma came to town you were awake for?"

"Yep."

"Charming coming out of his coma?"

"I called it."

"The election for sheriff?"

"We couldn't let Regina continue to control law enforcement."

"The meeting at the diner when you told me to come clean to Kathyrn."

"Trust me, that was not an easy judgment call."

"The entire murder frame job."

"If it was Rose and Mr. Gold we wouldn't have gone near the case."

"…you went after a man with an axe?"

"Pinocchio, and we've already made amends."

Mary Margaret turned to Belle, a look of envy in her expression, "You've had months to be with your husband knowing the truth."

"Thankfully, yes."

"_And_ you got some the morning before we left."

Emma stumbled over herself, but Belle hardly missed a beat.

"It was just a victory quickie. Ten minutes, fifteen tops." Her head whipped towards Mary Margaret, eyes wide with horror, "Are you saying you and Charming didn't…reunite before we left?"

"We were busy with other things, like not letting the town fall apart!"

"Then multi-task! Rum and I plan all the time while we're in the middle of it."

"Okay, guys, please," Emma interrupted, "I know I have to get used to a lot of things, like the fact I'm Snow White's daughter, but fairy tale princesses talking about "getting some" is crossing an ethical line."

Mary Margaret flushed with embarrassment. Belle grimaced, "Sorry, Emma," she murmured. She glanced over her shoulder, "We could sing if that's what you prefer," she offered.

Emma winced, "No thanks… Not a huge fan of musicals."

"You sure? I don't want to disappoint you… Though I suppose that happened when you realized "beast" was only a metaphor."

Mary Margaret glanced skeptically at Belle, "You sure about that? I mean not in Storybrooke, but the scales and the eyes and the claws in our land…" she shuddered.

Belle looked offended, "Well it's not all about appearances, is it?"

"No, but appearance helps," Mary Margaret nudged Belle playfully, "Come on… Look me in the eye and tell me you prefer how he looked here to how he looks now."

Belle bit her lip, ducking her head bashfully.

"Ha! I knew it!"

"I love him no matter what form he takes! …I just don't mind that his teeth are white now."

Mary Margaret beamed, shaking her head, "Well I'm glad that you were able to get past all of that; I can't for the life of me imagine how you could love…" She pinched her nose to change the pitch of her voice, " "All magic comes with a price"."

Belle's jaw dropped at Mary Margaret's mockery, hitting her playfully.

"Oh and your husband's so much better, all text book hero without a hint of an element of enigmaticness. Mr…" Belle's voice lowered until it was a rumble, " "I will find you, I will always find you"."

Mary Margaret lunged towards Belle, who danced away giggling. In a flash, Mary Margaret had unsheathed her sword, pointing it towards Belle.

"No one mocks my husband!" She declared.

Belle raised her eyebrows in a silent "oh really?". She unsheathed her rapier, pointing it right back at Mary Margaret.

"And only I get to mock mine," she insisted.

And suddenly they were swinging away at each other, the forest echoing with the sounds of metal clashing against metal and their giggles. It looked pretty serious despite their smiles; Emma worried that at any moment they'd drop the playfulness and start actually attacking each other. If this was friendship in their world, she'd hate to see what enemies did to each other.

They stopped as the sun began to set, choosing a giant clearing as their camp-out.

"Alright, so I'm new to this warrior princess thing," Emma began, "But isn't being way out in the open kind of an easy way to be spotted?"

"It's also an easy way to spot anything coming for us," Mary Margaret explained, "In a forest there's plenty of places to hide."

"Besides, if Mulan is to be believed the only civilization remaining is the one we left," Belle piped up, shrugging off the bag of supplies, "Much better to see a monster coming than to be caught by surprise." She glanced at Mary Margaret, "Do you and Emma want to set up while I go see what I can find?"

Mary Margaret met Belle's eyes and a look passed between them that Emma couldn't quite decipher. It was over in a second, with Mary Margaret nodding her agreement.

"Alright," Mary Margaret turned to Emma, "Let's get some firewood and see if there's anything around here that lends itself to making shelter."

Emma followed Mary Margaret's lead, skirting the forest and picking up broken branches. She kept stealing glances at her…mother, watching how sure of herself she seemed. Especially for a princess, yanno, in the wilderness.

"Did you and Belle go into Fairytale Girl Scouts together or something?" Emma asked.

Mary Margaret smirked, leaning down to pick up a particularly thick branch, "No. It was a lot of trial and error, figuring out how to survive in the woods on my own."

"On your own? What about the seven dwarves?"

"Originally eight, and it was much later when I ran into Leroy. I was on my own, and then I was with Ruby for a bit, then on my own again, and finally stayed with them," she shrugged, "It's been a long road."

Emma glanced incredulously at Mary Margaret. This girl could give her post-foster-home years a run for their money, "Okay, and Ruby is…?"

"Red Riding Hood."

"I could see that."

"…and the wolf."

Emma stopped in her tracks, trying to mull that one over. Apparently she shouldn't have just skimmed Henry's book and should have actually read the whole thing.

Mary Margaret was ecstatic at Emma's sudden curiosity about herself and the others from the Enchanted Forest. It meant she was opening up to where she came from, to who she was and to who they were. She was only too happy to tell Emma whatever she wanted to know, no matter how painful or embarrassing it was on her own behalf. Emma seemed appalled at the Evil Queen's reason for vengeance against Snow White, even when Mary Margaret insisted it was more Cora's fault (though Regina didn't see it that way).

The stories helped to pass the time and they soon had enough kindling for the night, and a good amount of leaves for bedding. Mary Margaret showed Emma how to start a fire with flint rock and a blade. It was dark by the time Belle returned, carrying something in what suspiciously looked like a section of pelt.

"What's for dinner?" Emma asked blandly.

Belle shook her head, "Trust me, ignorance is bliss in the case of what's brought back from a hunt," she knelt down beside the fire, unfurling the pelt to reveal neat chunks of meat, "I was thinking we could make shish kebobs. I also fetched some water from that stream we've been following and plenty of pine needles for some tea."

Emma smirked, "Well aren't we civilized."

Belle grinned and Mary Margaret snickered, apparently prepared for shish kebobs as she pulled out sticks suitable for roasting. They could've been making s'mores and out camping at a KOA instead of on a transdimensional mission, and Emma was kind of glad for the easy going atmosphere. It was…comforting, in a way Emma couldn't pinpoint. Like hanging out with Henry, or watching a movie on the couch back when Mary Margaret was just her roommate.

Like how she had felt with Neal.

"So I'm just really curious how you're going to make tea without any pots or kettles, or even cups."

Emma was drawn back to the present, Mary Margaret testing her meat while Belle daintily nibbled at hers. She grinned mischievously.

"Oh, you know, just grab them."

There was a plume of purple smoke, and then three teacups and a kettle sat in front of her. She blushed, bowing her head shamefully.

"Alright, fine, I abuse my power," she mumbled, before filling the kettle and putting it over the fire.

"I approve of the abuse," Mary Margaret declared.

Emma stared at the cups thoughtfully, "So if you can do stuff like that, then why are we walking to the castle? Couldn't you just, like, poof us there?"

Belle sighed, "Magic is complicated…it always comes with a price, even if that price is just energy at the expense of the user. Summoning a few items from a location you can picture hardly takes any. Teleporting three people miles away? I wouldn't be up for much of anything for a good day or so afterwards." She tapped the mark on her arm, "Rumple and I share power, even though he can limit me if he desires. I don't know what he's dealing with, and he doesn't know what I'm dealing with, so we both have to be careful. Even the Dark One can overspend his magical energy…and it's not pretty when you magically exhaust yourself."

Emma chewed at her shish kebob thoughtfully, "So checks and balances."

"Exactly."

The dinner continued and concluded, the trio sitting around the fire reluctant to turn in for the long night. The hair on the back of Emma's neck stood up as she heard a howl off in the distance. Belle and Mary Margaret ignored it, continuing to chat while the tea brewed. But the howling picked up again a short time later, louder and in larger numbers. Mary Margaret reached for her bow and quiver.

"It's alright," Belle said casually, taking the kettle off and pouring them each a cup, "They've caught the scent of wounded prey and they're closing in on it. They're going to stay away from us."

"And how do you know that?" Mary Margaret asked.

Belle passed her a cup, "The Huntsman taught me some basic wolf."

Mary Margaret fell silent. Emma's stomach clenched uncomfortably, but it had little to do with the mystery meat in it. Belle offered her a cup and Emma numbly accepted it, the truth coming at her like car headlights.

"…so it's true, then," she murmured, staring blankly at the ground, "Regina really did have Graham's heart… She…killed him."

Belle bit the inside of her cheek, nodding and blinking back fresh tears, "She didn't want anyone to remember who they were."

"She didn't want to lose control over her puppet," Emma hissed.

The fire crackled. The howls of the wolves moved past them, paying them no mind when there was work to be done.

Mary Margaret raised her cup, "To the Huntsman," she murmured, "Brave enough to risk his heart for a girl he barely knew."

Belle raised her cup, "To the man raised by wolves, nameless because names are a human thing, but memorialized nonetheless."

Emma lifted her cup weakly, "To Graham," she choked.

They drank in honor of the man who had affected all of their lives so profoundly, each in its own special way.

They left the fire going, warding off the animals of the forest. Emma volunteered for the first watch and though both of the other women objected, she eventually got them to curl up on their beds. Emma stared stoically at the forest, trying to sort through the raw pain leaving Henry and remembering Graham had caused. A glint caught her eye, and she glanced over at Belle.

Belle had pulled out a knife…a long knife that Emma couldn't remember seeing with her before. The edges of it were grooved like a kris and the blade was a good nine to twelve inches. Belle's fingers ran along the surface of it, inky black details Emma was too far away to make out. She felt along it for awhile, before bringing her lips and gently kissing near the tip of the dagger. She held the whole thing against her breast for a moment, before tucking it away again and going back to staring up at the clear sky.

Emma turned back to her guard, rubbing at her pocket where the picture of Henry was. It was a blessing she had it…a small comfort to get her through.

**IIII**

Belle stormed through the forest, her cloak billowing behind her like a wraith intent on a kill. The water bag thudded at her hip to the beat of her thoughts. That. Infuriating. Selfish. Stubborn. Narrow-minded. _Jerk._ She didn't even pause to set down an offering to the guardian of the lake; a helmet skittered from the shrine as her foot unconsciously booted it.

Of course she knew there'd be unique struggles to their union; she knew she would never be able to kiss him for fear of his curse breaking and therefore losing the power he needed to get his son back. But that didn't mean she didn't feel upset about it every once in awhile, and that her points weren't valid. Well maybe _she'd_ get a curse, see if _he_ liked it when he couldn't kiss her.

A part of her realized it was a stupid argument, but another part was insistent that it was important enough to quarrel over.

She reached the shoreline and bent down, filling up the water sack with that of the magical Lake Nostos. This was actually incredibly easy… Too easy.

The lake started to glow and bubble and Belle backed off. There it was… She reached towards the hilt of her rapier, prepared to defend herself.

A woman rose out of the lake, her gown as white as her hair and as decorated as her tiara. She was beautiful in a way that made Belle instantly suspicious; an ethereal wispy sort of beauty, like dryads.

"Hello," she said smoothly, as though she hadn't just caught a thief, "What's your name?"

"Not important," Belle murmured, wincing, "Listen, I'll pay on the way out, I was just flustered-"

"It's alright," The woman murmured, "A brave young woman such as yourself deserves a reward."

Flattery. Yes, this was definitely a trap.

"I'm still leaving the gold," she informed her, turning on her heels.

"Wait!" The lady of the lake called after her, "Don't you want to see what I can show you?"

Belle, her objective complete, should have kept going. But her characteristic flaw got the better of her and she paused.

"…show me what?"

"Look for yourself."

Belle whirled around to find not a siren, but Rumplestiltskin standing on the water. But it wasn't the Rumplestiltskin she had come to know and love; he stood before her an ordinary man, with deep brown eyes and skin touched by the sun instead of a curse. He was dressed in the studded black uniform of a new soldier, chainmail around his neck and a sword on his belt. Belle wasn't one to dwell on appearances, or had any particular fancy towards soldiers… But she had to admit it was definitely doing something to her to see Rumple like this.

She bit her lip, looking him up and down.

"I know you're an illusion," she insisted bitterly.

"Yes," Pseudo Rum agreed, "One that you created."

Belle slowly backpedaled, Rumplestiltskin approaching the shoreline. He held out his hand to her.

"Come on, dear. Let me kiss you."

Belle felt rather than commanded her body to move, stepping out onto the water to whom she logically knew wasn't her husband…but his voice was so deep and rough, like when he rumbled sweet nothings to her after making love. And then the arms wrapped around her, not as strong and protective as before. But those eyes, so large and brown and warm… Their lips met and Belle's heart soared, finally able to kiss her true love. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she tried to deepen the kiss, but for some reason he didn't seem interested.

And then Rumplestiltskin pulled her down into the water and Belle belatedly remembered what she was dealing with.

She thrashed under the water, trying to break free but the siren's hold was too strong. It dragged her deeper and deeper into the depths, down towards the grave of countless fools. Belle clawed for her dagger, but couldn't get it out of its sheath. Her lungs screamed for air and she threatened to black out, watching the siren shift back to her natural form and leer at her quarry. Belle instinctively breathed and water rushed into her lungs. She tried to choke but only drew more water into her belly and nose. She squirmed in discomfort as her lungs and stomach bloated, staring helplessly at the siren.

The siren squinted, and then snarled.

"You're immortal," she accused disgustedly, pushing Belle away.

Well that was probably why she wasn't dead yet, Belle thought as she tried to crawl up for some air. Even so, drowning wasn't exactly a picnic.

**III**

Archie had been in the business of helping people ever since he had been given a second chance, even before the curse had put him in an official position for it. Since the curse had broken he'd been seeing a steady stream of clientele, from the likely to the unlikely. One of his biggest surprises was Regina after she had let Henry go, demanding his help in her quest to keep from using magic.

And yet he hadn't seen the one person he really thought could use a listener.

Yes, Mr. Gold was being especially callous and cruel lately…but it was obviously a sign of distress. His wife had disappeared into a portal and there was no way of knowing if she could get back, or even if she was alright. Everyone dealt with things in their own way… Mr. Gold just tended to take it out on others.

"Thank you, Dr. Hopper," Mr. Gold said brusquely as he took the month's rent from the therapist. Some things actually hadn't changed; paying rent was one of them.

The pawnbroker turned to leave and Archie summoned up his courage.

"Would you like to come in?"

Mr. Gold glanced warily at Archie's office.

"I just thought…after what happened to Belle…"

"That I'd want to bare my soul to an insect?" He hissed.

Archie didn't take it personally; it was a defense mechanism. He was trying to protect himself from further emotional pain.

"To someone," he corrected gently, "Loss is a tremendous burden, and to lose your wife-"

"I didn't lose her. Regina shoved her through a portal," he growled, "Loss suggests it was an accident."

His mouth blamed Regina, but his body language blamed himself. He was drawn into his body, his normal composure of looking taller than he actually was gone. He was convinced Belle falling into the portal was somehow his fault, either because he truly felt so or because saying it was his fault gave him a sense of control. Archie couldn't tell that much about his thoughts.

"Either way, someone you care about is gone."

"Who says I care about her?" He couldn't even meet Archie's eyes as he spoke, "There are many reasons to get married, very few of them having to do with...love."

Archie took a deep breath, hoping he wouldn't get turned back into a cricket for this, "A man who doesn't care about his wife wouldn't plan a camp-out under the stars surrounded by candles and roses for her."

Mr. Gold's head whipped up as he stared, both startled and a little nervous, as if his love for Belle was a secret between the two of them.

"How…?"

"I saw you the morning after while walking Pongo," he confessed, "I may not know a whole lot about true love, but Belle curled up against you, you curled around her as if to protect her from the world, both fast asleep and peaceful… It sure looked like the stuff of fairytales to me."

Mr. Gold's eyes flit around as if looking for an escape, or an explanation… But he had been caught, exposed for the man he truly was underneath the Dark One's mask. His mouth opened, but nothing came out, so Archie took the opportunity to foolishly press forward.

"I understand that you don't want to appear weak…but you still need a healthy outlet for your pain. Having your wife-"

"Wife," Mr. Gold repeated in a grumble, "You keep using that word… I've lost a wife before, I know that pain. But Belle…" His voice cracked over her name, face twisting in agony, "…she's my world. My confidant. My lover. My rock. My partner. My best friend. Wife is such a weak description of everything she is to me." He shook his head slowly, "I keep taking down two plates for dinner… I go into the shop but I don't hear singing, or see a brunette with her nose buried in a book… I think I feel her, but it's only the cat trying to get my attention. The house…is cold, and silent."

Archie wanted to reach out, to touch his shoulder, to gently guide the private man inside the security of his office, to where he'd be safe from prying eyes. But fear kept him at bay…fear and reluctance.

Mr. Gold closed his eyes, hair veiling his face, "I can't go to her… I have no way to know if she's alright, or have any idea how to bring her back to me… I am helpless to do anything but prowl the cage of Storybrooke and pray for her return."

"She'll be okay," Archie breathed with an odd certainty.

"I know," Mr. Gold's chin trembled, "…but what about me?"

Archie stared, unable to respond to his question. He lifted his head, his gaze so lost and wounded it was almost like looking at a beaten dog.

"Belle is a crutch that I can no longer walk without," he stated, "Without her I'm little more than dust."

He left the building that Dr. Hopper's office was in feeling more lost and lonely than before. Faith had always proved to be a disappointment, though if there was anyone who could find a way to a land without magic after being sent from there it would be her. He couldn't say that he trusted her to find her way home…but he believed in his heart of hearts that she would try her damndest.

That night, he drove out towards the rocky beach past the cannery, towards a hill with grass that went up to his thighs. He trudged up to its peak, smoothing down a patch and lying on his back facing the sky. It was a clear night, the stars as bright as if he were back in the pastures of his home village. He stared at them, eyes moving from one to the other.

Kit had told him that each star was a door to another world. He could believe that…he wanted to believe that. Which star was the door to the Enchanted Forest? Could Belle see Storybrooke's star from where she was? He tried to use their connection, but it was too weak with them so separated. He'd have to use every scrap of energy in his body to get the slightest impression of how she was.

A phantom touch moved down his spine slowly, a touch that startled him at first but, as he realized what it was, made him deliriously happy. It was a touch Belle had experimented with quite a bit back when she was first given the dagger, a master testing her boundaries. She had been delighted to find intentional touch to the dagger could manifest itself to touching him.

Belle was reaching through the ether to him.

He closed his eyes and focused on the sensation, wishing there was some way he could reach back to her, to let her know that he was there with her in this moment just as she was with him. He felt her lips on his shoulder and then the warmth of her body, before the sensations faded away.

He sobbed shamelessly, both from joy and from pain. For a moment he had almost believed that she was there beside him under the star-scattered sky.

**II**

Another night had nearly fallen, but Mary Margaret kept pushing on with an intimidating intensity as she continued at a merciless pace. Emma was starting to wonder if she had lost it, when the forest suddenly fell away. A village spread out beneath them, but beyond that there was a castle, isolated except for a single bridge. Something stirred within Emma at the sight of it, not quite a memory, but an attachment kind of like it.

"Is that…?" Emma trailed off.

"Yes," Mary Margaret breathed, "We're home."

Home seemed a bit worn down, if the half collapsed bridge was anything to go by. At one point it looked like it had been strong enough to hold for a convoy of semis loaded with lead but now, as they wove their way around gaps and climbed over debris, it was lucky if a couple horses managed to get over.

Despite the obvious destruction, Emma still gaped as they passed through the front gates, into a room that could have held thousands. A shattered crystal chandelier lay in the center, massive in size and sad in its dead way. Chunks were missing from the walls and ceiling, and furniture was strewn about haphazardly.

"Looks like a bomb went off," Emma murmured.

"No, just a curse," Mary Margaret remarked sadly.

They picked their way up the staircase, down the hall with bloodstained tiles and discarded swords, to a door barely hanging on its hinges. Belle stopped dead in her tracks, staring at the room.

"You two go on ahead," she insisted, "I'm going to raid the apothecary's lab, see if I can find anything. I'll be back in a bit."

Mary Margaret glanced at Belle, knowing that the other woman was quite aware that they didn't have an apothecary lab. She nodded her acknowledgement of the gesture, "Don't be too long."

Belle nodded back and Mary Margaret led Emma into what would have been her room if it wasn't for the curse.

Belle walked a distance away, folding her arms and holding back a sigh. She could only wonder at how her own home had fared; it was depressing seeing Snow's palace so demolished. Perhaps magic had fortified their castle, or it hadn't been hit as hard because Snow was the target.

She loitered at the end of the hall, giving the mother and daughter some space. Her head turned as Mary Margaret's voice picked up in surprise.

"Lancelot! What are you doing here?"

**IIII**

Rumplestiltskin hadn't stopped spinning the entire evening, pushing the wheel along in angry bursts. How _dare_ she be upset with him over something she clearly knew, accusing him of not trying! She was so willing to risk everything and for what, a kiss? A _kiss_ was worth losing the power he needed to get his son back when he had so many other ways to show his devotion to her?!

As time wore on, it slowly dawned on him what truly bothered him about the argument. He couldn't give her what she wanted. He couldn't give his wife something so basic, because of his own mistake. Belle deserved to be able to kiss her husband, especially when all she ever asked for were simple things like that.

The doors opened and he tensed up, stubbornly not taking his eyes away from the wheel.

"Back already?" He asked mildly. His question was met with small gasps as though there was no air in the room.

He turned around to see her grasping the back of his chair, soaked to the bone and mouth working like a fish on land.

"Belle!"

His stool clattered to the ground as he ran over to her, looking over her body. Her hands flit across her ribs, unable to speak.

"Here, sweetheart, lie down. It's alright; you're going to be fine…" He helped her onto the table and she obediently reclined, chest rising and falling to no avail.

He started pumping her lungs, quick hard movements to her ribcage. At first there was nothing to show for his efforts, but after about a dozen compressions copious amounts of water started to flow back out from her mouth and nose. She coughed and wheezed, rolling over onto her side reflexively. He pounded her back as she forced the last of it out. She closed her eyes for a moment, gulping in air.

"…I didn't know sirens were bisexual," she muttered when she could finally speak again.

"Neither did I," he admitted. She sat up and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and he scooped her up in his, carrying her over to the fireplace.

She continued to lean against him as she dried, shivering every once in awhile. Rumplestiltskin kept his arms snugly around her, hardly noticing that she was getting him wet as well.

"I'm sorry I picked a fight," Belle mumbled, "It was stupid."

"Not stupid, futile," he corrected, "There's nothing I can do about it right now, though…" He paused for a moment, then insisted gently, "I have tried."

"I know. The rationale part of me does, anyway."

He nuzzled her damp curls, blowing warm breath over her scalp, "One day, dearie. One day we'll be able to kiss from sun-up to sun-down, I promise."

"Or sun-down to sun-up?" She asked suggestively.

He chuckled, "I like that better."

She scooted further up, resting her head on his shoulder instead of his chest, "I got the stupid water, anyhow."

"The water's the least of my concern since you came home drowned, but thank you."

"You look very nice in chainmail and a black soldier's uniform, by the way."

"In- What on earth? The siren took my form?"

"Mmmhmm. What, you think I'd kiss just any illusion?"

"You _were_ pretty mad…"

"Wasn't because I was mad. It was wish fulfillment and hypnosis rolled into one," she turned her head towards him, "Next time, though, it better be really you I'm kissing, not some Guardian of the Lake."

"Deal," he said promptly, glancing at her. He frowned, narrowing his eyes, "I should have that siren killed for trying to kill you."

Belle nodded, "She was mean to me," she pouted.

"And she kissed you, so it's settled. Next up-and-coming hero slays her."

"Why don't you do it yourself?"

"Why are you so determined to pick a fight tonight?"

She stuck her nose up in the air, "I'm just saying if you're getting vengeance on my behalf you should do it yourself."

"Because monsters don't slay monsters." She opened her mouth and he covered it, not wanting the "you're not a monster" discussion tonight, "That's my best offer, dearie. Take it or leave it."

She licked his hand in response. Unfortunately he was too used to the immature action to be phased by it.

**II**

"Thank you, Snow… I've been looking for a way over for _sooo _long."

Mary Margaret twitched against Cora's binding spell, but it was no use. She was trapped, watching Cora effortlessly tangle Emma in a spare rug.

"I never thought the person that would help me find it," Cora chuckled, gesturing towards her, "Would be _you_."

"Why?" Mary Margaret choked out, "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I want to see my daughter," she said earnestly, "It's been too long."

"Oh no you won't!" Emma struck her sword against the bit of flint rock Mary Margaret had given her, and sparks took to the enchanted wood instantly, growing into flames.

Cora spun around, "NO!" She screeched, drawing the fire away and forming it into a ball to throw at trapped Emma.

Mary Margaret gasped, not even able to draw enough air to scream. But before the fire could touch Emma, it was rerouted. The bonds holding Emma and Mary Margaret fell away. Cora glanced around, before her eyes settled on a fourth figure.

Belle strolled into the nursery, eyes locked on her. Cora eased a few steps to the side, laughing softly.

"And there's the amateur sorceress."

"I prefer Caretaker," Belle snarled, mirroring her movements.

Cora looked her over, clasping her hands in front of her, "So you think being branded with dark magic makes you so powerful? You're still trying to use it for good, hanging out with people who insist they're heroes."

"The magic I have _can_ be turned towards good, with a little effort," Belle hissed.

Mary Margaret and Emma had recovered enough to draw their weapons, standing beside Belle. Cora smirked, "We'll see."

Belle prepared for a fight, but Cora seemed to have other plans. The woman vanished in a puff of smoke, taking Emma aback.

Emma stared at where Cora had been, jaw dropping, "Did she just…?"

"Yeah," Mary Margaret said, glancing at Emma, "You alright?"

"Peachy. You?"

She rubbed at her neck, "Getting there… Belle?"

The two women turned to see her staring at the fire slowly engulfing the wardrobe. Emma's head whipped between it and Belle.

"Shouldn't you put it out before our ride home gets torched?!" She exclaimed.

Belle shook her head, "It would be much harder to activate, nonetheless carry, in its current state. This is a happy accident," she nodded towards the flames, "…if there's anything to be gained from the wardrobe, ash will do just as well."

They stood in silence, watching Emma's escape from the curse go up in smoke, hoping that it would serve another purpose now. Mary Margaret glanced at Belle, who even in the firelight looked pale and…terrified.

"She's alive," Belle breathed, fighting back a tremble.

The woman she knew purely from the wake of her decisions, from the resistance of Rumplestiltskin to love to the woman Regina had become… Was not a ghost. She was real, and trying to get to Storybrooke.

**III**

The night after Belle reached out to him, he dreamed of an endless room of mirrors. Mr. Gold wandered without a cane through the pathways, not entirely sure what he was looking for, but driven to find it nonetheless.

Then there were glimpses of it; a flash of brown, a swirl of blue. He spun around fast enough to see her wide eyes staring back at him. He glanced at his side but she wasn't there.

"Belle!" He shouted.

"Rumple!"

He ran down the line of mirrors, trying to find a break in them, to find the real woman instead of the reflection. Belle was evidentially attempting the same, flashes of her in the mirror showing up as she flit from one to the other. He finally stopped running and she was there in front of him, right where his own reflection should be. She put a hand up to the glass.

"Rumple…"

"I'm here Belle," he murmured, putting his hand up against hers but feeling nothing but the looking glass.

"Listen, I don't have much time left. Meet me tomorrow night in the place where there is no darkness. Please, Rumple, I need to talk to you!"

"I promise, Belle, I promise!"

His eyes flew open and he could feel his lips still forming the word "promise". He sat up, startling the cat out of a dead sleep, and tried to orient himself. It wasn't just a dream, he knew that as much as he knew that he was Rumplestiltskin and he loved Baelfire and Belle. The question was, what did it mean? And where was a place without darkness?

IIIII

I cannot apologize enough for the lack of updating; real life is insane right now as I work my butt off for a promotion. Whose idea was it to start this right before the busy season? Oh, right, I couldn't wait and was hoping to have more time.

Also, to the lovely anons who review… Fanfiction gives me no way of notifying you if you have a question, and these author notes are lengthy enough as is. If you do have burning questions but want to stay anonymous, pleaseplease_please_ ask me on my Tumblr (ShakespeareanHoneyBadgers). You can submit anonymous questions, and I can actually answer them!

Number one question is definitely about updating…sadly I don't have the luxury of stability I had in the slow season with work, and due to a change of management I'm not allowed to steal time at work to write. So I can't say for certain when I'll be able to update, and I'm terribly sorry about this. Also, if you could refrain from saying "update soon", I'd appreciate it; pathetic as it is I have had panic attacks over such reviews knowing I can't "update soon" (kind of feels like a command, to be honest). Sooo, try to convey it a different way, such as "may your muse be ever present" or "may your fingers be swift and uninterrupted". I appreciate your eagerness, I really do… I just have my hands tied with my ability to pump these chapters out, unfortunately.

Sneak Peek: It just wouldn't be "The Crocodile" without our favorite couple fighting to some degree. More Mary Margaret/Emma bonding (you two _do_ know this story isn't about you, right?). And the beginnings of Rumple and Belle's marriage, as well as the beginnings of the Caretaker.


	4. The Crocodile

Disclaimer: As you can probably tell from the fact I'm writing fanfiction, I don't own Once Upon a Time or any of its characters.

Belle fastened the last gold strand into her hair, rearranging her curls until all that showed were the small white pearls spaciously placed throughout the headpiece. She beamed at herself in the mirror, proud of the illusion that she had somehow managed to get the pearls to stick to her hair without fastenings. Her heart pounded in excitement as she examined her reflection, her chest swelling slightly with pride. Mrs. Rumplestiltskin… Mrs. Stiltskin? Mrs. Dark One? She wasn't sure what her married title was, to be honest.

She smirked as she heard the idle scuffing of a boot in the next room. Rumplestiltskin had been ready to go for a good hour now and she had fought off his attempts to hurry her process with magic. She had explained that she liked the build-up, the anticipation and preparation, almost as much as the ball itself. He seemed to understand with that explanation…but was still bored out of his skull waiting.

"I'm ready," she chirped, snickering at the thud of him jumping to his feet.

The door swung open, "It's about time dear-" Belle stood, timidly turning around.

The great dealer of words, the trickster with a silver tongue, could only silently take in his wife. It was more regal than her usual gowns, long off-shoulder gossamer sleeves fanning out like wings. The light golden dress shimmered demurely, slippers peeking out with each step. He smiled softly, clasping his hands together.

"Lovely," he breathed, following it up with a salacious smirk, "So lovely I'm tempted to take it all off again."

"Don't you dare," she scolded, taking his hands. He pouted and she leaned in, grinning conspiratorially, "_After _the ball if you're good."

Rumplestiltskin trilled in delight before offering his arm. She hooked hers around his and he escorted her from the suite they were lodging in for the night. They strolled down the stairway and through the tavern, paying no mind to the stares and gaping their appearance received.

Nothing could dampen Belle's mood. It was their first public outing as a couple, her first time accompanying her new husband on one of his social visits. The seaside kingdom of Marisol was a romantic choice for a business trip, and Rumple had promised her a stroll along the shoreline at some point. They followed the smooth stone paths, ignoring the citizens that shied away from them.

"So what is this visit about?" Belle wondered.

"Who says it has to be about anything?" Rumplestiltskin countered.

"The fact that we're going."

Rumplestiltskin smirked, hugging her tighter to him, "Well maybe we were invited."

"Since when are you invited to anything?"

"That hurts, dearie. True, but it still hurts," A few steps passed before he answered, "Not sure about the "why"; it's a ball for the young prince, trying to get him thinking about marriage."

"You think he wants to make a deal about his potential engagement?"

"Maybe, but at a ball this size there has to be _some_ desperate fish in the sea. And I can show off my new trophy wife," he added proudly. Belle nudged him, ducking her head and blushing. He snickered.

The palace was a marvel, set right on the water with a harbor cutting into its center for royal ships to dock. Smooth pearl-white stone walls rose into tall towers, topped with red shingles and flags. It was imposing, but not overly intimidating. Belle decided she liked it.

They were stopped at the gate and Belle gave Rumplestiltskin a sidelong look, starting to question whether they actually were invited or he had just said that to make her go.

"Name?" The guard asked.

Her husband gave a slight bow, "Rrrrumplestiltskin."

The guard then turned to Belle, scrutinizing her, "And who is this?"

She gave a small curtsy, "His Caretaker, sir."

"Caretaker?" The guard echoed and she nodded.

"Of his rather large estate," she managed not to smirk, "Even the Dark One needs a date to a ball."

The guard still looked puzzled, but didn't hold them up any longer. Rumplestiltskin rested a hand on the small of her back, gently guiding her inside.

"Embarrassed to admit to our recent nuptials?" He asked.

Belle bit back a laugh. "He looked startled enough to see you with a woman. Saying I was your wife might've been too much to believe."

"Well I still find it unbelievable myself," he murmured, his voice losing its shrillness for a moment. Belle nudged him lightly and he chuckled, following the other guests into the massive ballroom.

It seemed like a lifetime had passed since she had been to a ball, but the sights were all the same. There were the same instruments leading the dancers with their usual tunes, the same flamboyant women and the same half-bored men, giggling young ladies and flirtatious young men, politicians and villains seeking out opportunity. And yet with all of the commotion, they were still noticed, dancers stumbling and bystanders gaping. Rumplestiltskin seemed unaware until he caught Belle's unease.

"Does this always happen to you?" She murmured.

Rumplestiltskin wrinkled his nose, "Not usually… Then again I so rarely use the front door. Maybe this is why."

Belle carefully observed the spectators. It wasn't just Rumplestiltskin, she was sure; they'd be averting their eyes if it was just the presence of the Dark One that bothered them. No, they were horrified, hardly able to look away from the sight of Rumplestiltskin with a companion. He had done business alone his entire career and suddenly here she was, at his side and relatively anonymous. She could only imagine what they were thinking.

Rumplestiltskin suddenly took her hand and she glanced at him. He inclined his head towards the far corner of the room.

"Sorry, dear; looks like they want to get started right away."

Belle followed his gaze to where a wizened gentleman stood, watching Rumplestiltskin with a strength belied by his frail frame. Rumplestiltskin raised the hand to his lips and kissed it briefly.

"Save me a dance?"

"Of course."

His hand slowly slipped out of hers and she fought the urge to giggle. He looked more like a beaten dog than the nefarious Dark One off to make a deal. She watched until he disappeared from sight, then turned to the festivities.

There were a few noblewomen she recognized; Marisol wasn't so far off from her homeland. She tried to approach them, strike up conversation, but they either turned away or full-out fled. Wherever she wandered, she was given a wide berth, feeling stares on her back and whispers over her shoulder.

She felt…tainted. As though merely being seen with the Dark One was call for ostracization. As though by being his escort she too became something menacing and dangerous. It was one thing for her village to be concerned…but another kingdom? Had rumors been spreading, or was merely showing up with him enough to get such a reaction?

Eventually she surrendered to standing off to the side, watching the party and trying to appear as though she was having a good time if Rumple should return. She was starting to grow concerned when she heard a voice coming from beside her.

"Miss Caretaker?"

Belle turned to see a middle-aged maid addressing her, short and plump with her hair pulled back in a kerchief. She glanced behind but there was no one else she might be referring to…and she _had_ told the guard she was Rumplestiltskin's Caretaker.

"Are you alright, dear?"

Belle smiled, ducking her head, "Yes, thank you. Just…waiting." She tried not to let it sound too pathetic.

"For your master?" She ventured.

"For my _husband_," Belle corrected.

The woman nodded quickly, "Quite right… I think I saw him in one of the state rooms. Their business is almost done… If you like I could take you to him."

Belle nodded, "Yes please."

"Right this way."

She followed the maid, who seemed on edge for some reason. She constantly glanced around as if worried they were being followed, moving down the corridors at a clip that Belle found hard to keep up with. They went further and further away from the party, from mingling guests, and finally even other servants. Belle could hardly keep track of which way they were going, nonetheless what part of the castle they were in.

Suddenly they were outside in the castle's harbor, a small crew running about a ship as if preparing to depart. The maid took Belle's arm and tugged.

"Come on, dear. It's going to be alright."

"What is this? Where are you taking me?"

"Away, far away from that monster," she glanced back, misreading Belle's stillness, "He won't be able to find you, child; Prince Eric will make sure of that."

Belle let out a long groan as she realized what was going on, "Really?"

Up on top of a tower, surrounded by armed guards, Rumplestiltskin let out a long sigh.

"_This_ is why I never go to things when I'm invited," he sneered.

The young prince stood, every bit the gallant hero as he pointed his sword at Rumplestiltskin. The older man stood nearby, watching the prince like a bird making sure its hatchling didn't try to fly too soon. The prince continued to stare down Rumplestiltskin.

"I've heard about you, Crocodile," he murmured, "About your dealings…the trouble you cause… And now you've gone and kidnapped a poor young woman and forced her to work for you."

Rumplestiltskin's face creased in honest confusion, "Who are you talking about? I haven't kidnapped anyone…recently."

"Don't lie to me, beast." He took a step closer, the point of his sword one jaw drop from Rumplestiltskin's chin, "She was the noblewoman of one of our allies. When we heard of her plight we knew we had to rescue her…and now no one will fall victim to you again."

"I really don't have any idea what you're talking about," Rumplestiltskin insisted, "Give me a name, names help."

"Rumple!"

Rumplestiltskin turned to see Belle storming out of the stairwell. She glared irritably at the prince.

"What is going on here?"

He seemed shocked to see her there. Rumplestiltskin glanced between Prince Eric and Belle.

"Wait…you're talking about her?" He pointed at Belle.

"Talking about me about what?"

"Apparently I kidnapped you instead of you making a deal to save your village and agreeing to go with me."

Belle turned back to Prince Eric, who was looking more and more confused by the minute.

"And so you're trying to save me," she guessed. Prince Eric was silent.

She stepped in front of Rumplestiltskin, her cheek practically brushing the sword as she stared the young prince down, "I don't know what you've heard, but I assure you that I went with Rumplestiltskin willingly from the beginning, and have stayed with him of my own free will since. Try to tear me from him and I will always find my way back. So I appreciate your "help", but it's not necessary. I can deal with this beast all on my own."

Prince Eric stared at Belle uncomprehendingly, "…you're under a spell," he insisted softly.

Belle smirked and shook her head, "No. It's just true love." The back of her hand came to rest against the flat of his sword, and she gently pushed it away. Prince Eric complied, lowering the sword and watching her with a vague sense of awe.

She turned around and took Rumplestiltskin's hand, "Come on, darling; my party mood's been spoiled."

Rumplestiltskin grinned, practically strutting as his wife led him away from the scene. The soldiers stood, completely confused as to what just happened. Their prince seemed to be lost in thought. The elderly man simply sighed.

"It's a pity she's taken," he remarked.

A plume of purple smoke later and they were back at their own castle. Belle dropped Rumplestiltskin's hand and started up the staircase out of the foyer.

"I just don't get it, Rumple; why is it that every young man assumes a woman needs to be "saved"? Are we really that fragile that we can't handle ourselves? Even so, do they really think I'd just sit there without trying, hoping that someone would…" She trailed off as she realized he wasn't following her.

She turned around to see him standing still, his eyes full of wonder and love. Belle tried not to flush at the intensity.

"…what?" She murmured, suddenly shy.

"…that was really sexy," he breathed, his voice losing its high pitch.

Belle huffed and shook her head, "_Everything_ turns you on," she insisted, turning around.

She was caught by the wrist. She stopped and looked up at him, his expression tender.

"Only when it comes to you." His thumb rubbed against her pulse, "…no one's ever stood up for me like that before…" He confessed.

And there it was. The reminder of Rumplestiltskin's unglamorous past, a past only she knew intimately. Scars that would never fade, even with her touch… But she could at least keep his mind off of them.

She smoothed a stray lock away from his face, then smirked mischievously, "What was that about wanting to take all of this off because I was so lovely?"

The pain in Rumplestiltskin's expression retreated and he grinned, "Oh forget disrobing you, dearie," he warned, backing her up towards the nearest possible surface, "That's going to have to wait a bit."

Belle grinned, not minding the cool stone at her back. They had yet to try it up against a wall, and Belle was determined to experiment every possible scenario to be with her beloved.

II

Breakfast seemed pretty normal. Well, normal for having it in the ruins of an abandoned castle, the table lopsided and the chairs caked with dust. Even with the odd details, the standard practice of eating in a dining room on a table comforted Emma.

Belle came in later than Mary Margaret and her, tossing a satchel down beside her seat. It landed with a significant thump.

Emma eyed the bag, "…do a little brick collecting?"

Belle smiled and shook her head, "Just some light reading for the road. It's been _days _since I've been able to."

Last thing Emma had read was Henry's storybook.

Mary Margaret moved her food around, trying to make herself eat, "…where do we go from here?" She asked quietly.

"We go back," Belle said simply, "We have to."

"Why?" Emma wondered, "You saw the way they freaked out with you. They're not going to have anything to help us make the ash work."

"It's not about making the ash work," Belle murmured. Emma waited but Belle didn't elaborate.

Mary Margaret shifted in her seat, "It's about warning the survivors about Cora."

Belle flinched at the name, "…yes. Seems only right to tell them about You Know Who."

Mary Margaret nodded solemnly and Emma, reluctant at first, had to agree. Wasn't exactly a good guy thing to let a whole bunch of unsuspecting people deal with a powerful villain by themselves. Yeah it pushed the departure date back a bit, but it was worth it to go home with a clear conscious.

III

Mr. Gold knew about the Netherworld; it was the place that one's soul went to when they were placed under a sleeping curse. But neither Belle nor he had ever been victims of a sleeping curse… So what was the place he was dreaming of? How were they connected?

He heard the bell attached to Granny's Diner's door jingle, listened to the heavy footfalls…then braced himself as they stopped.

"…you have completely lost your mind," David declared.

And maybe Mr. Gold had. It was truly the only explanation for why he was allowing himself to be bossed around by an animal.

"…the cat wanted French fries," he muttered.

Unaware that there was anything odd about the situation, Figaro sat across from Mr. Gold, perched carefully on his back legs and munching at the plate of fries in front of him. David shook his head.

"How…"

"It wouldn't shut up," Ruby growled from the cash register as she put in an order, "It stood at the door yowling when Gold stopped in for the rent… You would've thought it was dying."

"And then it wouldn't leave," Mr. Gold muttered, "Shot right through when I opened the door."

"Then started meowing at someone until the guy finally figured out what the cat wanted," Ruby let out a long sigh, "I'd rather risk the health department than listen to that thing go on… Worse than someone blowing a dog whistle."

David continued to watch Figaro eat for a moment longer, "Actually I was meaning to talk to you today, about something Regina brought up."

"Oh, you two are on speaking terms?"

David shrugged, "It's for Henry."

"How very noble of you." Mr. Gold moved the plate closer to the window. Figaro trailed after it, freeing up some space for the other man to sit down.

He took the seat, focusing on the matter at hand, "I was talking the situation over with her and she said that you had trained a portal jumper, a werecat girl."

"Indeed."

"That this girl could not only travel between worlds, but take others with her."

"It's possible she could, with time and the right supplies."

"Have you approached her yet?"

"I'm not going to."

"Why not?"

Mr. Gold reached over and took one of Figaro's French fries, "Shouldn't you be asking yourself _why_ Regina would give you such information? Why she'd help you bring back her arch nemesis and Henry's other mother?"

"Because she's trying to change, for Henry," David insisted.

Mr. Gold smirked, "Change isn't that quick, dearie." He bit the French fry in half, chewing thoughtfully before swallowing, "And neither is world-travelling with nothing more than your own magic. It would take a month before it would even be possible for her to go to our land, and another month to return. She's young and fairly inexperienced; she might be able to take one person back with her."

David leaned back against the booth, "So she wouldn't be able to bring them back."

"Not all of them."

He frowned, "…then why haven't you asked her to bring back Belle?"

Mr. Gold was silent for a moment, "…a single town in a world is not a very large target for her to hit. I don't want her missing it and getting her and Belle lost in the throes of time and space."

"Shouldn't you have more faith in her?" He asked, "You send shepherds you hardly know to go after dragons."

He shook his head, "That's different."

David narrowed his eyes curiously, "…you care about this girl, don't you?"

"Truth is that it's going to be a lot easier for them to find their way back than it will be for us to fetch them," Mr. Gold murmured, finishing off his fry.

David didn't pursue the subject of the mysterious apprentice further; the only one that seemed Rumplestiltskin wasn't willing to gamble with, except maybe Belle.

"You seem to be in a better mood today…" He pointed out instead.

Mr. Gold smirked, "I got a good night's rest."

Figaro gently batted his plate towards David, eyeing him questioningly. Since it was still half full, David picked up a fry and thanked the cat. Figaro purred his contentment before going back to his snack, and David glanced at Mr. Gold questioningly.

"I am no longer entirely sure that the cat has always been a cat," he confessed. The two men accepted Figaro's generosity and helped him eat the rest of his fries.

Mr. Gold hesitated, concerned it might sound weird even to the likes of Prince Charming. He said it anyway.

"Do you…sometimes feel something…_mystical_ between yourself and Mary Margaret? Something you can't explain, but you can feel it in your gut regardless?"

"Absolutely," David said, "Why do you ask?"

He glanced around, before staring down at his hands, "…I think Belle and I connected last night through a dream."

David's eyebrows furrowed, "Is that possible?"

"I don't see why not," he rubbed at his left forearm, "It's just the "how" that's eluding me."

"Well where there's a will there's a way, especially for magic users," David said dismissively, "…do you think that you'll be able to do it again?"

"We're supposed to," Mr. Gold admitted.

David smirked, "Well, then tell Belle to give Mary Margaret and Emma my best."

Perhaps Mr. Gold needed someone more skeptical to talk these things over with.

IIII

Rumors spread about Prince Eric's ball and Rumplestiltskin's recently acquired mistress. It was correctly linked to the disappearance of Sir Maurice's daughter, but that was about all that the rumors got right. Some claimed that she stole Prince Eric's sword and pointed it against him. Others claimed that she took out his royal guard with a rapier, or magically turned them into a dozen rats.

These rumors were little more than propaganda spread from the loyal guard of Marisol, embarrassed for their prince that he should be so easily foiled. The rumors took on a life of their own though, growing until they included her "past". People were torn on whether the darkness was there before in the Caretaker or if it had materialized after she had been with the Dark One, but clearly she was evil for remaining with him and threatening Prince Eric.

Regina did what she could to aid these rumors along, tossing some of her own into the mix. Belle's name faded into near disuse, too pretty for a woman of such reputation. Nicknames flourished in its absence. Belle herself remained unaware of the rumors for a few months after the ball fiasco, too busy haggling with trolls and confronting harpies.

Belle took a deep breath of fresh air as she worked along the Dark Castle's boundaries, testing the barrier spells that kept out the local non-sentient malevolent beings. Though ogres weren't partial to mountainous regions, there was a substantial amount of werewolves that Belle would prefer never to run into again. Rum had explained that even the best of barrier spells had a tendency to wear down, and so she had taken it as a hint to see if she could find any weak spots.

She came upon the castle's gates and peered up at the wrought-iron, extending her magical conscious out. The spell she had felt along the walls was different here more…faded. Belle's hands wrapped around the bars to get a better sense of how exactly the spell worked. She tried to concentrate but the spell kept shifting, throwing her off. She frowned; that wasn't fair of Rumple. She had just mastered the basics; he shouldn't be allowed to throw curveballs at her yet.

"Excuse me, miss?"

Belle glanced over to see a young gangly man standing on the other side, a hand resting on the hilt of his sheathed sword. Belle smiled.

"Can I help you?"

He blinked, "…aren't I supposed to be helping you?"

Belle tilted her head to the side, "Why?"

The man seemed completely bewildered, "…because aren't you a damsel in distress?"

Belle pursed her lips thoughtfully, "I _am_ a damsel. I _am_ in distress. But I can handle it, thank you. Have a nice day." She turned back to the situation at hand.

He didn't leave.

"Ma'am I think you might be too close to the situation to grasp the danger you're in."

It was Belle's turn to stare blankly, "…last time I checked repairing barrier spells wasn't dangerous."

"I mean being held captive by the Dark One," he glanced up at the towers, "He's off at my village today on a deal; I could have you out of the mountains by sunset."

Belle sighed, leaning against the bars, "Listen, it's very sweet that you want to "rescue" me, but I don't need to be rescued. I'm here of my own free will and if I did want to leave Rumplestiltskin, I very well could. Understood?"

The young man nodded meekly. Belle gestured back towards the castle, "I can imagine you've come some distance…maybe you want something to eat before you return? Well, _after_ I figure out this darn spell…"

She finally sealed off the weak spot and he hesitantly agreed to come in. They had lunch and chatted for a bit before he left. It was the most civil out of all the heroes' confrontations that Belle would have to endure for almost the entire first year of her marriage.

A week later Belle sank happily into her favorite reading chair by the fire, glad to have a day off for once while Rumple had the misfortune of dealing with Regina. She was completely engrossed as the bandit snuck up on the protagonist's love interest, reaching out to-

Belle squeaked as she found a hand clamping down on her forearm. Before she could blame her playful husband, she was pulled to her feet, her book falling to the floor.

"What are you- No! Let go of me!"

"We must go at once, before the Beast is alerted," Her intruder insisted, a burly man so covered in furs he looked part animal himself.

"The Beast is my husband!"

"You are enchanted, miss, but do not fret. We will find someone to remedy that."

She tried to dig her heels into the ground, tried to pull away, tried to do _anything_, but this brute wasn't getting the message. And if there was anything that irritated Belle it was being denied her own right to choose.

"I'm warning you; let me go before I have to do something drastic…"

But the "hero" merely rolled his eyes and tugged her closer, making to swing her over his shoulder.

Belle stumbled back as she was suddenly released, a cloud of purple smoke sending the problem away. She grimaced and smoothed her dress. She hoped "distant village" didn't mean she had sent him somewhere bad… But honestly, trying to drag her off like some neanderthal…

Things only escalated from there.

"You can't honestly like doing this," she insisted, sitting on the floor in her nightshift.

"Why wouldn't I?" Rumplestiltskin wondered as he sat on the edge of the bed, running her brush through her hair.

"I don't know… Just seems boring."

"Not to me," he murmured, curling a lock around his fingers.

Belle smiled and blushed lightly, wondering how long this "honeymoon" would last. Would he always be trying to find ways to shower her with affection, like the most adorable boyish crush ever?

She knew personally that she would never stop falling in love with him all over again every new day, would never want to stop being with him.

She jumped as she heard a thud. Rumplestiltskin paused and glanced quizzically at the door. It came again and Belle got to her feet.

"What in the world…?"

Rumplestiltskin watched from his perch as she went to the window and looked down. In a flash she went from puzzled to outraged.

"Oh hell no…"

She summoned a robe and pulled it on over her nightclothes before vanishing from the room. Rumplestiltskin blinked; he hadn't even had the chance to ask if she needed help.

The riled-up mob was not a group of heroes from afar attempting to do a good deed; they were a gathering of half-intoxicated men that had been partaking at a tavern, sharing grievances of the lower class. Someone had brought up Rumplestiltskin and his ways, and that eventually lead to the news of him stealing a beautiful young noblewoman to use as his Caretaker. Each for their own reason, ranging from moral integrity to "why should he get a pretty girl?", the inebriated gathering not only managed to get up towards the castle, but had crafted a battering ram out of a fallen tree. In time to chants of "kill the beast!", they drove the log towards the front doors of the castle, hoping that this would somehow counteract whatever locks or magical charms kept them closed.

Suddenly the doors flew open and the men stumbled back, dropping the log. Not just from the shock of the doors opening, but at the fabled woman standing in front of them in little more than bedclothes and a robe.

They might have gawked at her beauty, if she hadn't been so clearly enraged.

"You people are obviously not getting the message!" She snapped, "So here it is, as bluntly as I can put it. I love him. He loves me. No one's being forced to do anything. We are a happy married couple just trying to live our lives together, and I _don't_ need _anyone_ saving _me_."

There was a brief silence, broken by one of the older men towards the back.

"Do you reckon he sells love potions as strong as the one he gave her?"

Belle shrieked and, in a rare instance, lost her temper.

Rumplestiltskin glanced up when Belle returned, arching an eyebrow, "What was all that about?"

Belle held her hands behind her back, unable to look up at him, "…would you believe it was an old man selling chess games?" She queried hopefully.

She couldn't get him to stop laughing for a good five minutes.

II

Belle had spent the journey so far with her nose buried deep in a book. It might've been fine if Emma wasn't used to her and Mary Margaret chattering, or if Belle looked a little more relaxed. But it seemed like she was trying to set fire to the book with her mind by the way she was glaring down at its pages. Even when they stopped for a break she didn't look up.

Emma examined her bow, the weapon she hadn't really bothered with since she had chosen it. She took out an arrow from her quiver and tried to set it the way they were supposed to go. She succeeded, and then turned to an unassuming tree not far away. She drew back the string and fired.

Belle yelped and scrambled backwards as the arrow veered to the left and landed a mere inch from her foot. Emma grasped her forearm and winced.

"Sorry, Belle!" She called. Belle gave her a thumbs up, before trying to dislodge the arrow out of the ground.

It was going to leave a welt…

Mary Margaret timidly came up behind Emma, "Could I…?"

Emma wasn't sure what she was asking until she nodded towards the bow. "Oh, yeah, sure," Emma said, handing the bow to Mary Margaret.

"A lot of it is stance," she explained, pulling out another arrow and knocking it, "You don't want to face your target head-on; your body should be perpendicular. Use your mouth as an anchor… It sounds silly but really it works. Make sure its taunt…release when it feels right."

Mary Margaret's arrow whizzed through the arrow, embedding with a satisfying "thunk" in the targeted tree. It was…well it was like a movie with the ease and precision she shot. Mary Margaret passed her bow back to her.

"Practice makes perfect," she assured her. Emma immediately pulled out another arrow, preparing for another try. Mary Margaret gently corrected her posture and, once she was satisfied, Emma tried again.

The arrow fell short.

"Better," Mary Margaret praised, "At least you didn't almost shoot Belle this time."

"Always a plus," Emma mused.

Belle watched them for a moment, before setting her book down and getting to her feet. Mary Margaret's attention turned towards her.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

Belle met her gaze, "…bathroom," she insisted slowly before continuing on her way.

Mary Margaret's gaze followed her for a minute before she started after her.

"And where are _you_ going?" Emma asked.

She glanced back and shrugged, "Bathroom," she insisted, before jogging away.

Emma sighed, and went back to her archery practice. Yeah, buddy system was a good thing out in the enchanted wilderness… But she'd never understand why girls couldn't go to the bathroom alone. Unless it was a "bathroom" trip.

It didn't take Mary Margaret long to catch up to Belle, who slowed her pace once she was at her side, "What's going on? You've been in a funk all morning."

Belle crossed her arms over her chest, scuffing her shoe against the ground, "…do you ever think about Abigail?" She asked, "Like…you know she's not a threat, but you can't help being concerned sometimes?"

The question seemed out of the blue, not to mention irrelevant, "Sometimes, I guess. Why?"

Belle took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "It was a long time ago… Before you or I were even thought of and Regina was just a vague idea… Rumple and She Who Must Not Be Named…"

Mary Margaret waited for Belle to proceed…but her mind filled in the blanks first. Her jaw dropped as her eyes widened, "Oh my god…" Belle closed her eyes and nodded, "Oh my _god_… Oh my god! Is Regina-"

"No," Belle cut her off quickly, "It never got that far…" She ran a hand over her hair.

Mary Margaret stepped closer, folding her arms tightly to her body, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just… Really worried. About what might happen if she got to Storybrooke-Well I'm worried about that in general, but also about what it means for me and Rum."

Her jaw dropped, "You don't really think Rumplestiltskin would _cheat_ on you, do you?" She might not know much about the relationship, but the idea of either one of them cheating was laughable.

"Course not, he knows better," Belle said dismissively, shifting her weight, "I just worry… I mean he's been trying so hard to be good… I don't want her to come along and undo all of his hard work." She shrugged, "There's more than one way to tempt someone."

Belle turned back towards the camp, wincing, "Also, we're not telling Regina any of this. Gods know she's already traumatized enough, don't need to add that tidbit about her mom and push her over the edge."

II

He was in the room of mirrors again, looking through each one but all he saw was his own reflection staring back at him. He had no idea where this place was, only that he had to find it, had to find his way to Belle…

And suddenly he was standing in front of a looking glass that didn't reflect; it was pure white inside, giving no impression of corners or a ceiling. The only color in the room at all was a woman with her knees drawn up to her chest, staring blankly. Belle.

He examined the mirror but it didn't have any levers attached; there was no way to pry it open, no way to simply step into it. A whine rose in his throat as he stared at Belle, so close and yet so far.

Belle reached up, wiping something from the corner of her eye. A tear. Oh hell no.

Mr. Gold picked up his cane and swung with all his might at the mirror. Cracks started to form and he threw another swing, and another. The spider web spread until finally it shattered, the pieces raining down to reveal the room. Mr. Gold stepped in without hesitation.

Belle's head turned to look up at him and she scrambled to her feet, "Rumple!"

He opened his arms wide and she ran right into them, hugging the breath right out of his lungs. He could've sworn it wasn't a dream, feeling her warmth and weight, the silkiness of her hair…

And then abruptly she pulled away from him, her brow furrowing, "I'm mad at you!" She reminded herself, then hit his shoulder.

Mr. Gold stumbled back a step, staring at her in bafflement, "What?"

"I'm mad at you!" She repeated, storming off a few steps, "Because you either deliberately or unintentionally lied to me!"

"When was this?!"

"A while ago!"

"Then why are you peeved now?!" The way Belle's brain worked sometimes…

Belle huffed, staring at the expanse of white for a moment. She turned back around, shaking her head.

"Alright, I can't continue this, not when I miss you so much. But do recognize that I am not letting you off the hook," she warned.

"About what?!"

"Cora!"

The name seemed to echo between them. Mr. Gold went rigid.

"…we agreed never to bring her up again unless it was absolutely necessary," he growled.

"And it _is_ absolutely necessary considering the fact she's actually alive."

It was the first time he had questioned the validity of this dream. Cora couldn't be alive… She just _couldn't_ be. He shook his head slowly.

"…Regina told me she saw the body…"

"Maybe you should stop believing Regina when she tells you someone is dead," Belle muttered. She reached out and squeezed Mr. Gold's shoulders, gazing up at him fearfully, "She's trying to get to Storybrooke, to Regina…"

His hands rested on top of hers, "We're not going to let that happen. If anyone's coming through to Storybrooke it'll be you three, understood?"

Belle nodded, biting her lip, "…but how are we going to get home?" She asked quietly.

He reached up to smooth a lock of her hair back, "You'll find a way… And even so, I'll be looking too."

He pulled her into himself, tight around her. She buried her face in his neck, closing her eyes and pressing her forehead against his pulse.

"I miss you," she whispered.

"I miss you too, love."

Mr. Gold shot up in bed, gulping in air as his eyes darted around the room. Belle… She was in the Enchanted Forest… With Cora. But how…

His jaw clenched as he threw back the blanket. It seemed as though he had a visit to pay.

IIII

Little John stood next to his leader, gazing up at the Dark Castle as the rest of the Merry Men worked on getting the gates opened.

"You know no one's been able to rescue her yet," he rumbled in his baritone pitch.

Robin Hood merely shrugged, "And who's given it a try? Some amateur adventurers looking for an easy way to get into the ballads? Average men stupid enough to think it'll be an easy task? Well we're better than them, know our way around people…"

The front gates swung open and the Merry Men slipped into the gardens, using the shadows to creep closer to the doors. Little John watched them, mulling over why Robin would risk angering the Dark One again.

"…it's her we're after, isn't it?" He murmured, "The girl in the golden dress."

"Aye," Robin agreed, "She saved my life, helped me save Marion's, and ipso facto Rowan's. Least I can do is get her out of there since apparently none of the competent heroes will touch her."

"Maybe there's a reason," Little John said.

"And maybe that's the signal. Come on, you big oaf."

Little John and Robin maneuvered their way to the doors, which opened effortlessly. Robin motioned for his men to fall back, before creeping into the castle. Little John moved a few paces behind, trying his best to keep as quiet as Robin.

Maybe they'd make a little detour to see if his old bow was handy, Robin thought. Just because he could still use his current bow with accuracy that made the Sheriff look like a fool it didn't mean he didn't miss knowing no matter what that the arrow would find its mark.

It was sheer luck that the woman was sitting by the hearth, a book in hand while she stroked something in her lap. Robin gestured to Little John, who gestured to the rest of the band, and they all moved into the room, ready to charge up and announce their intention to her. Though it was a little odd that she was lounging about as though she owned the-

He saw it first and stopped abruptly, too abruptly for Little John to keep from nearly running him over. The Merry Men slammed into each other like an accordion, resulting in boot scraping, soft cursing and a few "you idiot" smacks. The woman's head whipped towards the men and she immediately shushed them.

"I _just_ got him to sleep," she hissed.

The rest of the group peered around him to see what had stopped their leader dead in his tracks, their eyes widening in disbelief. Curled up at her feet, head resting in her lap, was none other than the Dark One. He shifted slightly, an arm tightening around her legs and his head rolling so he was now facing downwards. She resumed stroking his hair, glaring at the Merry Men.

"He's been up for three days straight trying to sort something out and I am not having him be woken up due to a dozen uninvited guests," she growled, her voice no higher than a whisper but carrying all of the power of a shout, "So please, if you have a deal you want to discuss, come in during business hours and we'll chat then."

The merry men stood gawking at the scene, unable to reconcile the wounds they had seen on Robin to the creature now cuddling to a woman who seemed to act like the master of the grounds. Robin Hood smirked, and then gave a small bow.

"Just checking up on you, milady. Glad to see you survived."

"And I'm glad to see you all healed up," Belle said, "Give your family my regards."

"Will do." Robin began shooing his bandits right out the way they came, letting the sleeping dragon lie and the fair maiden go back to her book.

As Robin expected, Will jogged up beside him once they were out into the foyer.

"We can't just leave her there!" He insisted.

"We can and will," Robin stated, "They're already in deep trouble and I'm not getting in the middle of it."

"What sort of trouble?" Will wondered.

Robin smirked, "Worst kind of trouble there is… True love."

III

Visitation…she shouldn't have to have _visitation_ with her own _son_. Regina fumed, finally unpacking all of the things that had been in her city hall office and putting them in her home office. It was humiliating, being asked to step down as mayor in her own town, and for what? There were no elections, and not even Prince Charming could be a mayor, a sheriff, _and_ a grandfather at the same time.

A small part of her mind rationalized that at least she could see Henry, that Charming hadn't decided to lock him in a tower or something. But still, he was so closed off from her… As he had been since Belle gave him that damned book.

She didn't know how to make him love her. Not forcing him to stay with her, quitting magic, keeping out of the public eye… What more did he want from her?

A chill went down her spine as she heard the tick-tick of an approaching menace. She straightened, keeping her back to him.

"It's rude to come in unannounced to someone's home."

"Never stopped you before, dearie."

Regina turned to see Mr. Gold. She had known him for years; knew all of his facial expressions and emotions. She could tell when she got his goat, could tell when there was something she was missing from one of his riddles. But the look he was giving her right now warned her that it was taking everything in him right now not to kill her.

She shifted, at least putting the desk between herself and him. She had been expecting this visit since she escaped her exile.

"You thought you could keep it from me?" He growled, his body getting tighter and tighter like a spring about to be released, "Thought you could lie right to my face and I'd never find out?"

"What are you talking about?" She asked.

Mr. Gold's lips curled back, "The fact that Cora is _still alive_."

It felt as though she had been doused with a bucket of ice. Perhaps this wasn't the visit she had been expecting.

"Cora _is_ dead," Regina said flatly, "I saw the body with my own eyes."

"Then apparently she fooled you."

"And what makes you so certain that she isn't dead?" Regina paused, her mouth slightly agape, "…she's not in Storybrooke, is she?"

"Not yet," he muttered, "She managed to find her way to the Enchanted Forest though, and she's definitely interested in getting here."

Regina shook her head, "How do you even know this? …have you found some way to communicate with them?"

Mr. Gold hesitated, and Regina took it as a "yes".

"How? Mirrors? Scrying?"

He ran a thumb over the handle of his cane, "…Belle came to me…in a dream."

Regina raised an eyebrow, "A dream. You're coming in here flinging accusations because of a dream you had."

Mr. Gold was silent. Regina snickered.

"Oh Rumple, losing her _has_ made you go a little crazy, hasn't it? Believing in dreams…" She tilted her head, "So if Belle told you Cora's alive and that's true, does that mean the dream in which I show up to a city council meeting in my underwear will come true as well? Because then I'll take some precautions about remembering to wear clothes."

He knew he had spoken to Belle… Even if it sounded crazy when he said it out loud. He didn't know how, but he knew he had.

II

"Have you ever considered a different hobby? One that doesn't involve ripping out internal organs?"

Hook leaned against the wall, watching as Cora gently set the last glowing heart into its box. She glanced at him and he shrugged.

"Embroidery, maybe? Starting up a scrapbook of different species of flora might be interesting…"

"Where's the fun in that?" Cora said dully, striding towards him, "Magic's the only thing that's really ever caught my interest."

"Well to each their own," Hook said dismissively, standing upright, "Not a soul alive out there, except for the three you had me send out."

"Good. And Snow White's group?"

"They'll be here in a couple hours," he glanced over his shoulder, "Quite the "welcome back" surprise."

"Only fair to warn them what they're up against." Cora stared out the door towards the distant horizon, as if she could spy the group approaching. She didn't usually let things trouble her, but she couldn't shake off the encounter, "Captain… Do you know of a sorceress by the name of Belle?"

Hook seemed surprised at the mention, "A sorceress named Belle? Well there was the crocodile's mate, but she walked the plank a few years before the curse. Turned into mermaid chow so fast there wasn't even any blood, unless they dragged her off somewhere and she drowned," he glanced at her, "Why do you ask?"

Cora's eyes fixed on a spot, jaw clenching so tight he swore he'd hear teeth crack. Had he not known better, he'd accuse her of being upset.

"Go play dead, Mr. Blacksmith," she said coolly, before turning back to her makeshift vault of hearts.

IIIII

There are no words for how sorry I am; the other dishwasher's back went out so I had to pull all night shifts and do all events by myself for a good four or five weeks. I was too exhausted to give this the attention it deserves. Buuuut school's back and the busy season's over (and though I wasn't promoted to cook, I was promoted to work only morning shifts now so yay!), so I am almost positive the updates won't take forever anymore.

Almost…

Anyways, thanks for your lovely support and for how little I've been bugged about updates. I appreciate you, all of you, and wish I could bake a cake out of rainbows and smiles for you. Crossing my fingers for Season 3!

Sneak peek: Belle turns out to not be as dead as Hook would've hoped. Awkward talks about immortality ensue. More fun with Mr. Gold and Regina.


End file.
